The Musical Poetry Club
by Rampaging Sorrow
Summary: She's a colorful emo. He's a black n white prep. It's a wierd reality switch, but it's them. Forced to be in two different groups, they only had one thing in common amongst everything. Poetry. And this, my friends, is what sparks their love for each other
1. Prologue 1: The Life of a Colorful Emo

**R.S.:**Hello everybody! I am back once again with another story idea! This time, it's not going to be drabbles like and nothing like the other **RK** fanfics I've done in the past. I'm going **T** rated with this story and I'm… idk, I guess going at it a different way from usual!

I got this story idea from a picture on Yes, this whole story had been imagined up based on that one picture. wut can I say; it was an awesome picture (in my eyes at least). Anyways, I now introduce you to , a story where things are not as they seem at times.

**I do not own Rurouni Kenshin****or the music from bands I use**** or some of the poems****. I only ****own the characters I may put in and the ****poems and ****lyrics I may think up myself.**

Rampaging Sorrow is back in action and I hope you enjoy this story!

Now, the curtains open.

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**The Musical Poetry Club**

**By: Rampaging Sorrow**

**Prologue 1: The Life Inside the Colorful Emo**

With all her heart, she hated to be plain. She couldn't stand anything that didn't stand out. It was like, "_If it'__s not standing out__, then why should it be there?_" That was her motto and stuck by it to death. Had been that way since she was six years old—you can only imagine what this girl has inside.—Everything about this girl just screamed **_creativity _**and to her, she'd rather keep it that way. She wanted to be known for a reason in life and creativity was most of what she had. That and the fact that she had a way with words.

**This girl i****s the weirdest emo in town.**

Everybody around her commented on her unique way of style. "Her socks are so rad!" or "I love her Converses." and the usual "I love her skirt!". Things like this made her what she was. Unique. This girl put colors that people thought were **_ugly_** and made them say **_beautiful._** She wasn't a popular girl—cheerleader or jock wasn't in the question—and yet everybody knew her name. No matter where she went, everybody knew who she was and gave her comments and looks of awe. She left a path of people looking at her.

**She i****s the most known emo in town**

Her hatred for blacks and whites wasn't big, but she refused to just wear them and she refused to wear "dark and brooding" colors all the time like how most other emo and punk children in her town did. This girl was bright, this girl was like a shining star, this girl was OUT there. Her love for unique styles was enormous and thrift shops were where she'd love to hang out at (that and other shops that satisfied her taste). This girl was into accessories, this girl loved body glitters, this girl was a "♥**-****throbbin**" lover of shoes.

**She i****s the most fashionable emo in town.**

But, even though this girl is out there and even though this girl is a fashion **icon**, she's still an emo girl with heavy issues. And it's not that all emo children are people who have problems either. This girl was really just a definition of emo music and attitude. And she didn't act as if it was just for show. It was really her life. It was what she came home to. When you spoke to her, you could hear the emotions rising through her voice and you could see the deep thoughts and fears in her eyes.

**She i****s the deepest emo in town.**

Her father was always working hard and because of a harsh divorce a few years back, he gave his all for the job and let out his anger through running a well-made business that thrived on the borderline of perfection—it started from when she was born—. He barely had time for his daughter anymore and when they did spend time together, it was cut short by an urgent matter. Sure, the money got her whatever she wanted and their house was **_incredible_**—not many people in her town had an indoor pool—but… money could never replace the love and loneliness she felt when her father left.

To top off her dilemma—besides the point of not really enjoying her mother's bonding times—she lived not only with her father but with his sister as well. A serious addict to drugs this woman was and the emo girl hated to watch a lady who used to be so high up slowly kill herself with cocaine, sex, and the occasional ecstasy from time to time (it's amazing what stardom does to you). It was a wonder she was still alive with the way she continued this spiral down to hell day in and day out. The emo sadly witnessed this trauma all the time and not even her father could stop the mayhem. Rehab was only a minor break for her because she ended up being sent back out anyways.

The emo girl hated to be home, she hated to sleep inside the house; she hated that part of life itself. If she could live with her mother, sometimes she'd think, she would have a better teenage life and learn to deal with it better at a distance. She wouldn't have to always want to sleep somewhere else when her father wasn't home and she had to lock the door since different men were coming in and out the house.

**She is the saddest emo in town.**

The only thing keeping this emo together is not only fashion. It's also pens and notebooks with music blaring from the stereo system as she expresses her whole heart on the pages and she leaves the trauma she feels through poetry. **_Poetry_ **was what gave this girl her edge. When she couldn't do anything, she wrote. And she continued writing until her pale fingers went numb and she had emptied her heart with the words and small pictures she felt. Her music taste was excellent and she was up to date with all the emo, punk, alternative, and indie bands that she loved. She even included dance songs, japanese artists from her native background, and a 50-song section of **R&B.** Her **IPod** was a thrill to listen to.

**She ****is**** the most poetic and musical emo in town.**

What people (guys mostly) would say when you asked about her is, "_she has the most amazing __blue eyes._" Her blue was lighter than normal and it was a basic mood ring for her emotions. You could honestly just sit, stare into them and… blank out. With these blue eyes, she had natural black hair (most people had to dye theirs) and it had a blue tint towards it with sunlight. It went to the middle of her back and her slightly wavy hair texture made it perfect her and have her the image of some men's dreams. Her voice was smooth like silk and her smile… it lit up a room.

**She i****s the sexiest emo—or girl—in town.**

She loves to play guitar, her best friend is a the hottest emo boy around named **Enishi**, she loves the band **_Paramore_**, her favorite song is _"Imagination"_ by **_Jonezetta_.** Her favorite color is unknown, she loves skirts and at the prom (she was a freshman then) she blew everybody away with her date and their style. Her dream is to be a full-time fashion designer, she has an idea for a sexy shoe line and she **knows** she can model. She loves to party, she only does make-outs with her best friend, every guy in school wants her—

–She **is** the emo girl of the town. She **is** the girl of the town everybody wanted.

But, as she now has to move in with her mother (court orders), she realizes that nobody will know that **"_Kaoru_"** is her name. Nobody will know who she is or what she's known for.

And she realizes that soon, to her dismay, she'll be three states—six hours away—from everything she knows and she'll have to start over as the "_new girl_" and not the "_emo girl_" she wants everybody to know she is.

_**(sigh)**_ Emo-girl will--sadly--have to start over from scratch.

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**R.S** And here is the first half of the prologue! I loved writing this. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please read and review for me, kay?! I'd love to hear what you think!

**Love Always,**

**Rampaging Sorrow**


	2. Prologue 2: The Black n' White Prep

**R.S.: **Hello everyone! It's Monday, so since it's pouring outside with rain, I'm going to update and give you the second part of the prologue! I can't go out and dance since I'll get in trouble. I'm rele a trip, huh?

Anyways, here's the second part of the prologue. Hope you enjoy!

_**-Rampaging Sorrow**_

* * *

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_

_**By: Rampaging Sorrow**_

_**Prologue 2: **__**The Black n' White Prep (How fucking weird is this)  
**_

He lived a life of complete luxury. Sure, his house wasn't some huge mansion and his parents weren't millionaires. He was living luxury to the max and he didn't care who said anything. He loved everything about where he was and he didn't have one problem that brought his days down. A cheerful happy prep that partied all the time and loved to hang out and have fun all year long. You would think that he was so colorful and cheerful with what he wore. I mean, his attitude showed it right?

You couldn't be more _**wrong**_. This prep was… he didn't really have a bone of colorful thoughts going through his style or his head. Instead, he had a… a love for black and white (with the occasional gray). You couldn't put this kid to wear ANY type of color. He just flat out refused and made sure he didn't have to (his mother thought he was stupid for it.) No blue, no red, not even a dash of green. The only color this boy had to him was the dark blue walls in his room and the color on his bed. And the only reason for that was his dear sweet mother.

**He ****i****s the weirdest prep in town—no—HISTORY!**

It was a wonder how this teen was a prep. The big puzzle that had new kids wondering "what the _**fuck?**_" and old students still shake their heads in amazement. It really was a sight. And to make matters worse, he was one of the **top**. One of the most charming, definitely the most handsome, and the most athletic. If he didn't have any of these traits, he wouldn't be the boy that he was now. This boy loved to be generous, he loved to make people smile and if you were having a bad day it only took one three sentence conversation to put the saddest of people with a good and happy vibe. He did charity work on his own and he constantly had ideas to raise money for starving children everywhere. If you truly needed a dollar, he'd give you his last and forget that he truly needed it. His heart was of gold and everybody saw.

**He ****i****s the kindest prep in town.**

Even though he wore black and white, his style was one that had to be the _**sexiest**_ of all men in the school (next to his best friend of course). His attire was… it screamed "_Fashion and Money._" From sexy button-ups to polo shirts that were made by the best. He loved to shop at **Abercrombie****&****Fitch**, **Hollister, ****American ****Eagle; **whatever preppy attire it had, he was there. He had mostly black jeans, cargo shorts, and the white shorts he had he only wore in the middle of the week. Then there were the occasional stripes, but anyway. Back to clothes.

His tops consisted of polos, button-ups, shirts with cute perverted sayings on them, and nice sweaters. He loved shoes as well. Adidas, Puma, Nike, Jordan, Cre8tive Recreation; the list went on and he was never seen with crummy shoes on his feet. Not even for _**gym.**_ His wrist always had a bracelet his late grandmother gave him years back (god bless her kind soul) and his neck always has a star pendant inside a heart outline. Everybody looked to him for some kind of sense, with their colors and style. He mostly didn't tell, but sometimes he'd let ideas slip. After all, he had to keep up his own image.

**He i****s the most fashionable pre****p**** in town (… even though it's still a mystery about ****how)**

As a prep, he lived up to his name and up to the history his older brother had set up. Hell, he's probably passed it and made his own mark with everything he can do. He was the captain of the varsity soccer team, the basketball team, the ice hockey team and lacrosse. His speed was _**incredible**_, he had swift agility; colleges from around the _**globe**_ wanted what he had. Hell, this guy was breaking records and blowing teams out by himself. Who was as good as that in high school these days?

_**(laughs)**_**He'****s ****a prep ****on top of the athletic world!!**

He never had a problem with the school system, rarely fought and was a model student amongst his community. His life at home was fantastic as well. People idolized what this guy had. But a big secret lay underneath all this "perfection" and "craft". A really big secret that he would love to just keep in closed doors.

You see, this prep had an artistic side with words. Poetry, to be clearer. He had an intense way with the way he spoke on paper. When you read his poetry, you **had** to open your eyes and say "Wow." It was deep, it was meaningful, it was intense. Nobody knew where these heart-felt words ever came from either. He was an unknown poet in the school system that changed lives. His pride and embarrassment kept him from giving out his name.

**This prep'****s poetry i****s some of the best his school had ever seen.** _And sure, he did love music! From classical to techno; this prep listened and rarely judged._ **But… poetry ****is**** his best.**

If you asked around (mostly women) about what he looked like, they would all swoon and tell you the same thing. "He has the most amazing eyes" and "He's so _sexy_." Or "He's perfect." This prep always got the best comments.

His eyes were a smooth and calm amethyst shade. Whenever he was happy and calm, this was their shade. They were somewhat light in color and you could forget what you were going to do just by sitting and looking at him. It was just… it was balanced and pure. Now, when he was otherwise—such as angry, lustful, etc.—his eyes did change color. They turned into this dreamy molten gold color that would send all the women on a fritz. If he was sad or depressed, they would slip into a blue color that just made **everybody** stop to give him a hug or some words of comfort. But, that was rare so mostly everybody saw the other two.

The gold and amethyst mostly changed back and forth, but no matter what color they are, his long and beautiful red hair matched completely. His ponytail rested at the end of his shoulders and everybody loves the silky smooth feel. His voice is deep and sultry and once he flashes a smile, you end up falling in love.

**H****e is the sexiest HOTTEST **_**desirable**_** prep in town.**

He loves piano, his best friend is Aoshi (an emo/punk lord), he loves the band _**Gym Class Heroes**_, his favorite song is _**Viva la White Girl**_ by… well, his favorite band. His favorite colors are… well, you all should know by now (if not, something's seriously wrong). He loves polo shirts, shoes, and at the prom (he was a freshman then) his outfit got him and his date "_sexiest duo_" and "_best dress"_ for her. His dream is to be a national sports player, he has offers coming in by the dozens and he **knows** he could model for _**any**_ runway (he already does it). He loves to party, he's only had sex with his ex-girlfriend before they split up two months ago. He walks with confidence; every girl in school wants him—

--He **is** the prep of the town. He's the boy in town everybody wants. "_**Kenshin**_" is the name everybody loves to hear.

And he's not going anywhere. This junior year, he's going to **SHINE.**

Butwhat he doesn't know is that there's a new girl coming to town. A girl who's wealthier than him AND is going to take some of his spotlight with her aura and personality. A girl who loves poetry just as much as him. An emo who will change his outlook on everything.

…

He doesn't know that the moment she speaks out her words, he's going to fall in love and break EVERY prep code he possibly can to be with her.

_**Let the **_♥ _**connection begin.**_

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**R.S.:** And here is the ending of the prologue section! now you see who Kenshin is. I hope you enjoyed it!

Please read and review! If you don't, how will I know how you feel? Feedback, people!

_**-Rampaging Sorrow**_


	3. Welcome to your new life emogirl

**R.S.:**Hello everybody! I've been running around and creating mischief to get my ass into trouble since I've been BORED. I already got at least two strikes against me. it's fun. Anyways, here's chapter one and this is basically Kaoru getting settled in. Hope u enjoy it. It's… idk, it's so-so to me. Sorry it's so late! and sry if there's any grammar errors. the document thing on fanfiction is messing up my work again. --

**-Rampaging Sorrow**

* * *

**The Musical Poetry Club**

**By: Rampaging Sorrow**

**Chapter One: Welcome to your new life, emo-girl**

"This is our home! I know it may not seem like much, but it's all we have, baby girl. I hope you'll like it here as much as we do now."

"… This is dull."

Mrs. Fujiyashi, the former Mrs. Kamiya, glanced over with teal eyes of surprise as her daughter—a.k.a emo-girl b.k.a. Kaoru—stared at the outside of the house with a frown of disappointment. Her old house had spunk. This place? '_Psst! As if!_' Her arms were crossed over her chest and as she continued to examine the new place she'd be living at, her frown deepened and she was disgusted. Deep inside, her mother hoped she would accept it.

"Kaoru, we just finished building this place." She began calmly. "We still have to paint, you know—"

"—Daddy's house was better. I don't feel anything from this. Not even a spark of genius."

With a sigh, she slipped her blue book bag—complete with dots and stripes—onto her back and moved up the steps into the house. Light blue eyes stared at clean marble tiles and wide staircase going up on both sides. The carpet was a plain dark red, the closets were bare, and even the chandelier was just… it was there.

'_Even the entrance hall is fucking dull. I am NOT happy._' As she looked once more and frowned at everything she saw, her mother moved up the front porch steps and took a look at Kaoru's outfit. Trying to start a nice conversation, she gave her comments as nicely as she could.

"Your clothes look really… _unique,_ honey."

'_Everybody seems to say that._' "That's what I'm aiming for."

The reply was light and laced with complete irritation. Her moth wasn't pleased she couldn't get on good terms and as she told her to look around, she left the house to retrieve her son (Kaoru's stepbrother) from school. As soon as the door shut, she pulled out her cell phone and she called the first number in her 'dialed' list. An impatient sigh slipped out before a familiar voice filled into her ears. She mentally sighed in relief.

"_Hello, Kaoru.__"_

"Hey daddy." She replied with a sullen tone.

"_You sound upset. Is something wrong?_"

"This fricken' place is horrible!" she began as she started to pace across the marbled floor. "Completely dull! Mom has no creative bones in her and I want to come back home."

"_You have to stay until Friday._" the depressed tone replied back. The whole court orders and everything had taken a big toll on his mind and because he only got to see her two days out of the whole week, it put a big damper on his mood. Kaoru could easily notice it in his sigh. She herself felt bad as well, but what could they do now? Everything was documented and there was no turning back. Even if she wanted to go, she couldn't.

"_I'm__ all alone. Your aunt is back in rehab and now there's no reason to come home at all… it feels so weird to not hear your voice, ya know? I miss you so much and it's only been a few hours._"

"I miss you too." She replied calmly as she slid down the front door. "I'll speak to you after you're done working okay?... Yeah, I love you too daddy. Sayonara."

Kaoru snapped her phone shut with an angry sigh before she rose to her feet and made her way to the stairs. At the second floor, her eyes widened in amazement and more disappointment.

"Nothing… Not even a goddamn attempt…" she brushed her hair back with a flick of her wrist. "This is bullshit."

Each room her beautiful blue eyes gazed upon made her stomach want to heave. Nothing stood out to her. Everything… it was completely ordinary. Maybe even worse. Inside, she was angered to another level. Her glare gave proof.

'_I know daddy told her about me. She could have made things __livelier__! Put some flowers or something! Ugh, this emo is __happy._'

Kaoru walked to the end of hallway and as her memory told her where her room was, she went up another set of stairs and opened the attic door that revealed her bedroom. A cry of shock hit the wall as she glanced around and stood perfectly still.

"This," she began, "is **HORRIBLE** What the hell was mom thinking?! Is that woman drunk?!"

As she rambled on, her distaste grew into hatred. The walls were a dull blue-green color and the way everything matched made Kaoru pissed off to no end. She had a beanbag chair back in her old room! This room didn't even have that! The only good thing she had was a full-body mirror and a huge closet.

"This outfit screams 'Unique'! This room doesn't!" True to her word, her outfit did stand out from everywhere else she had seen in her town. Pink and yellow arm-sleeves and high knee socks, a light blue shirt with clouds, the sun and flowers, denim shorts and a dark blue ribbon tying her hair gently over her shoulder. With her curves and features, she was to die for.

After another fifteen minutes she got fed up. "I can't take it anymore. I need a change NOW." The dark haired teen moved to one of her boxes and after she opened it, pearly white teeth revealed in a beautiful mischievous smile.

"This'll get her blood boiling."

* * *

"She put everything in black bags, Seth! They even have the words **To Dull** on it!" 

"I guess it's not her?"

"Ugh! Don't give me that!"

"Kaname, relax."

Seth Fujiyashi glanced over at his fuming wife and as he hugged her and began to laugh, Kaoru was doing the same while she sped down the street and crossed another store from her list. People walking looked at the blue-green truck with _Kaoru_ slashed on it in blue paint that helped the designs around it stand out.

"Her truck is rad!" she heard some people say as she stopped at the lights. "That's awesome! Who is that?!" Kaoru smiled at the attention and while she waited at another light, she glanced down at her list.

**x Target**

**x Ikea**

**x Bed Bath and Beyond**

**x Home Depot**

**x Lowe's**

**Electronics'**** Store**

**Mall**

"It's five-thirty." She thought aloud as she drove and turned onto another street. "I have to get this stuff TODAY. And I'm already half-full, so! Let's keep this going!"

Kaoru turned up the music from her **Ipod** and as she began to sing the lyrics and laugh, she truly felt free enough to think that this new life was going to be better. She approached the mall and after parking up her car, she got out and went straight for the **Best Buy** next door. Back at home, Kaname was still furious and Kaoru's father could only sigh as he had to listen through the phone. Her green eyes flared.

"She put it in bags that said **To Dull**, Shinji! Just what did she have over there?! She even hates the house!"

"_Well, Kaname, she and I are expressive. Our house is colors and designs and emotion. There's no warm home feel__i__ng. It's a thrill.__ Just let her do what she wants to do. And don't be alarmed by the loud music tonight. She plays guitar and loves rock to death. Goodnight!_"

Seth grinned as the line went dead. "You have a creative bug." He chuckled. "I can't **wait **to meet her."

"This isn't a joke!" she cried to him. Seth winced as she hit his shoulder and pulled at his light brown locks. Hazel eyes were completely cheerful as he moved her hands and pulled her into a warm hug.

"Let her fit in her way."

"She bagged the mattress I bought. That hurts."

"(laughs) You're hurt already?! Now I really have to meet her!"

* * *

"All done. I got paint, brushes, stencils, bedding, blankets, pillows, a new mattress on the roof under the television, clothes, rugs, door handles, screwdrivers, a board, a beanbag, Ipod Stereo, an alarm clock, shoes and lighting. That should be enough for now." 

The Kamiya child was most pleased that she could find what she had to in one day. It would have been a bother to make it a two-day project. Once she turned her music down and pulled up into the driveway, she wasted no time and began to pull things from the trunk. The front door was opened with her foot and as she carried paints up first, Seth came to the door to watch her come back down. Footsteps caught his ear and once he looked up, he smiled at the energetic teen's quick steps towards where his body leaned.

"I'm Seth. You must be Kaoru, am I right?"

"Yes sir." She replied confidently.

"Nice to finally meet you. Awesome way to bag the mattress, by the way. Your mother's furious."

"(shrugs) She'll live."

Kaoru went back to her car and Seth, to her surprise, began to carry things out with her as well. Her blue eyes glanced over at him as he pulled out some paint brushes and the beanbag chair. Seth flashed a charming grin.

"Your mother may be mad, but I thought it was hilarious." Kaoru returned his grin and from that point on, the **Kao-Seth Alliance** had been formed (which angered her mother to no end in the future.)

"Your style is one of a kind."

"Thanks. That's what I aim for."

"You reached it, little miss. You reached it."

"… How old are you?"

"I'm Forty-Two."

"Really? You look thirty."

"Thank! I'm glad you think I do! At least the younger generation doesn't know my age!"

Kaname and her son, Yahiko, watched the newly formed duo moving Kaoru's mattress up the steps and into a guest room. Yahiko clung onto his mother's pants leg with slight curiosity and worry as his ruby-brown eyes glanced at the two walking back down the steps and laughing over a joke. Kaoru glanced his way and after waving and flashing a cute grin, he looked up at his mother's small glare.

"Mommy, she moved in?"

"Yes, Yahiko." She kindly replied. Her frown changed to a smile in a matter of seconds to show him she was happy. "That's your older sister, Kaoru."

Yahiko watched her come back in carrying things and once she kicked a ball up into one of the baskets she was carrying, Seth cheered at her cocky smile. He quietly examined her clothes and once he came to a conclusion, he tugged on his mother's leg again and looked up at her so he could speak.

"Yes, honey?"

"She looks weird, mommy." His mother could only sigh and mess up his hair a little.

"It's what she wants dear."

* * *

"All done, little miss!" 

"Now to paint."

"At eight-thirty?"

"(nods)"

"… Cool. Call if you need me."

"Will do, Seth. Thanks for the help."

Kaoru walked up into her room and after changing into a blue sports bra and green shorts, she turned on a boom box and began to lay tape over the edges of the wall. The floor was already covered, so she wasn't too afraid of spilling paint down and through the wood. She also started an outline a design on her door.

"This room is going to be awesome."

She poured two different paint colors into a bowl and after stirring it around, the music blasting downstairs made her mother frown at the food on her plate. "The music is ruining my dinner."

"I think she's very fun." Seth added as a teaser. "She has edge. You can tell she's been independent."

Kaname raised her head up and gave her husband an angry glare. "You know what? Just eat and don't talk to me."

"Touchy about the mattress, huh? She took pictures of the whole thing, if that makes you even more upset. That and the whole voyage from store to store. She's a real creative bug."

"Seth. Honey."

Kaname flung a pea at his nose and then she pulled her dark brown hair from her face to smile at his narrowed eyes. Yahiko was already laughing at their antics and by the time dessert rolled around, they were flicking droplets of water at each other. Seth raised his hand to block the liquid coming his way before he grabbed a cherry from his ice cream and threw it straight into her hair. She gasped in shock before she grabbed it and threw it back. Yahiko's laughter rose in more amusement.

"Can I have a soda?" they froze and after their eyes turned to see Kaoru, Kaname and Yahiko gazed at surprise. Her hand was on her hip and as she spun a stencil around, she leaned against her other leg. Yahiko shut his eyes with a fierce blush as her chest slightly bounced and her shorts slid up a little.

"Down the hall on the left." Seth chuckled.

"Thanks, buddy… Hey, Kiddo."

Yahiko gave a wave and as Kaoru went through, the eight-year old rubbed his face and looked at his mother for some kind of comfort to his embarrassment. Seth let out the happiest laugh he had given all day.

"She's in a bra, mommy. Didn't you say women don't do that?"

"I did." She dryly replied as she glared towards the kitchen for the girl's lack of clothes. "Kaoru's not yet a woman."

The laughter didn't cease as Yahiko sighed in relief. Kaoru passed back through with four bottles and as she stopped and put them down, Yahiko squealed as she hugged him and tossed his brown spikes back and forth. Her fingers tickled his sides and after he laughed, she planted a kiss on his cheek and left him shocked with another blush. Seth raised his head up and after she leaned down to whisper in his ear, he smiled and nodded. Kaname didn't understand what the girl was up to.

"Ten minutes."

"Cool. I ordered some pizza too since I missed dinner. Oh! And mother?"

"Yes, Kaoru?" she kindly responded. Her eyes were flashing something dangerous even though she managed to keep a smile on her face.

"I hope you liked my bags."

Kaname gasped in anger and as Kaoru smiled at her, Seth laughed in delight as she moved towards the stairs. Green eyes glared at the beautiful black ponytail swishing behind the teen and after she growled, Seth covered his stomach in pain from all his laughter. He still hadn't stopped.

"That was such a low blow! I love this girl!"

"Seth! Don't encourage it, damn you!"

"Ooo, you cursed mommy."

"I can't help it! She's genius!"

"Seth!"

"Mommy, say you're sorry for cursing at daddy."

"… I'm sorry."

"You better be." He slyly replied as he pointed towards the stairs. "I'll sick Kaoru on you."

"You could sick my foot in your—"

"Mommy…"

"Sorry, _dad._"

"You better be. (sigh) This is going to be fun."

* * *

"The walls are almost done! Thanks, Seth. You can go to bed now." 

"(Yawn) Night, Creativity-Chick."

Kaoru laughed as she began to paint dots and sideway stripes on the left wall from the stairs. Her Ipod blared with music and as it hit her ears, she squealed in delight and switched colors for the new set of stripes going up. Her lips moved as she swayed her hips and sang the song.

"_Could it be I'm stuck in a world of repetition?_

_With people pretending they're so in love?_"

Her phone rang before she could go on and as she opened it up, she saw a new message from her mother downstairs. **'TURN IT DOWN**Kaoru ignored the request, put the music louder in volume, and turned both her phones off. "Turn it off my ass. She'll live."

Half an hour later, the same song continued to blare from the speakers and one wall was finally finished. Her door was locked and because the door was at the bottom of the stairs, she couldn't hear her mother banging on the door to turn it down as angrily as she could.

"This is good time!" she exclaimed to herself as she danced and she used sponges to put her ideas on the next wall. It gave a bold effect with the waves and once she used a smaller brush to put more minor designs, she gave it a last glance.

"Oh this. The bed definitely goes on this wall."

* * *

This was the fifth time her mother was banging on the door and as Kaoru walked down the steps to hear it, she pressed her ear to the door to the woman cursing and barking for the door to open. Kaoru bit back her laughter and after she gave two knocks, she walked back up the steps and let it go loose. 

'_She can't stop me._' The black-haired girl thought as she changed another song and moved to the next wall. Her pale fingers pressed the tape down and as she got out a spray-paint machine, she fixed the mask on her mouth and started on the outlines. "I could make money from this." The rock music got louder and as her mother retreated from the door, Kaoru fixed the mask once more and she began to spray paint the outer wall at a distance. The screamo soothed Kaoru's limbs and after she began another wall to wait for that one to dry, she couldn't help but dance and nod her head to the ending.

Her thoughts left her mind and as she opened the window wider, she still couldn't hear her neighbors complaining and her mother knocking once _again_ below. Oblivious to the world, she danced to the music and to the strong up-beat songs that followed right behind it. Her worries about the new town began to fade away and every fear she might have had about the new surroundings and the new people she would meet dropped itself to minor issues.

For hours she danced and painted the walls, the dresser, the nightstand, the bed frame, and the desk. **K.A.C.K.** was in bright orange on her closet door and blue on the main door at the bottom of the stairs. She turned the music off and as she cleaned up the tape, a soft smile was on her face. '_It'll need another touch up tomorrow, but this is perfect for now._'

"Now that the frame's dry," she noted to herself as she touched the paint, "Time to start putting things in!"

Kaoru walked down the steps and after unlocking the door, she threw another black bag (this one regular) on the side and moved across the hall. By the time five o' clock hit, Kaoru had her lights screwed in on the ceiling, the bed—an awesome sunset/spring colored mix—was neatly made and ready to sleep in, and the lamp she bought was plugged in. Glow in the dark stars were on her ceiling and her clothes were neatly packed away and hung in the closet. Even though the walls were a little damp, Kaoru was pleased. The rugs were situated now, the boxes were folded at the bottom of the stairs, and all her shoes were placed up neatly color-coordinated.

"I need a bath." She went down the steps with body wash and a cloth in hand, and once she saw Seth, he sleepily smiled at her arched eyebrow.

"You didn't go to sleep yet?"

"Nope. Go take a look at it. The paint I bought is quick-drying, so tell me what you think."

Seth nodded and as he continued to dry his hair and move to her room, she went into the bathroom. Once she got over the shock of the dull colors, she stepped into warm water and began to wash her body. Her creamy skin looked good enough to touch and as she scrubbed her hair, the paint slid down her skin and into the drain with the rest of the water. Her fingers quickly slid through her locks and after she dipped her head back in the shower, she moaned.

'_Sooo good for the emo-girl's sore body…_' Seth made sure her door was shut before he pulled Kaname up the steps and made her look around.

"Kaname, isn't this incredible? She's an artist."

Kaname nodded gently in slight awe of the room and as she sat down in the bean bag, she leaned her head back and sighed gently against Kaoru's mattress. Her sleepy green eyes were satisfied that there was no more construction going around. As she felt the bed to see if it was dry, she looked back up to her husband with worried eyes.

"She never went to sleep. Seth, how's she going to sleep tonight for school?"

"She was smart to stay up! It's done, baby! Look, even the guitar's ready to use and her laptop's set up with speakers. (Laughs) You really were dull compared to this."

"Shut the hell up. And that music she was playing! Jesus Christ, she's so rude with the way it blasted!"

"I personally liked it." He retorted as he crossed his arms and gave a cocky grin. His eyes danced around the room and as he began to turn in place and examine everything, his smile grew wider and he clapped his hands together.

"She's going with me to bring your daughter to work day next week. I _definitely_ need somebody to spice up my room."

"Seth, you'll get fired." She dryly sighed as she put her head in her hands.

"From a company I run? (Laughs) Kaname, you're forgetting why we live in this house."

Kaname hit his shoulder with her slipper and once they walked back down the steps, Kaoru arched her eyebrow at her mother's tired eyes. "Why do you look so tired? I should look like that, mom."

"Don't start." Her mother sighed as Kaoru and Seth began to grin. "Somebody knocked back to me when I was banging on the door. You know how many phone calls I got for all that music and noise?"

Kaoru put a finger on her nose and as she began to think, she pointed to the ceiling and began to tap the air from left to right. Seth watched in amusement. "You got… Ten phone calls and a message on the answering machine."

"… Holy shit she's right, Kaname." Kaoru flashed a big grin and after kissing her mother on the cheek, Kaname just leaned against Seth and pointed to the door.

"I can finally say this with authority. Kaoru…. Go to your room."

Kaoru and Seth both laughed before Kaoru saluted to them and closed the door behind her. Ten minutes later she was snuggled up in her bed and smiling at the stars on the ceiling. The light from outside refused to let them glow, but they were still a sight to see anyways in Kaoru's eyes. The music was low now, but she still enjoyed it as she opened up a small book and wrote a haiku to officially end the day. Her eyes drooped as she slowly thought of her choice of words. Once she shut the book, she put the book under her pillow and she finally fell asleep.

**Emo-girl has moved **

**Forced to make her brand new start, **

**She's quick to shine proud **

'_Let's see if you can handle me Oakley. I'm ready to start an __upraise_'

* * *

**R.S.:** And that was chapter one. Idk, it kinda seemed a little boring in some places. I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter is Kenshin. Sorry again this is so late. 

**Rampaging Sorrow**


	4. Prep Boy, did you see the new girl?

**R.S: **Hello everybody! I am so sorry that it's been a long time since i've updated! I've had a lot of soccer lately and i'm getting back into shape because I was injured for half a year. And there's been some family issues, but now i'm back so don't worry! please forgive me?

Anyways, here's Chapter Two! Hope you Enjoy it!

_**-Rampaging Sorrow**_

* * *

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_

**By: Rampaging Sorrow**

_**Chapter Two: Hey Prep Boy, Did you hear and see the new girl**_

And

**The Punk King Adores Emo Girl Kaoru**

"There is absolutely negatively without any signs of doubt nothing to do. I'm positively bored out of my negative thinking mind."

"... Was all that necessary?"

"I positively think it was. One hundred percent."

"... I'll ignore this mood of yours. Besides, it's only Monday--"

"--That's the point, Aoshi! It's only Monday and i'm just about ready to take another flip off the roof into your pool."

"... You're a weird prep, Kenshin. I still don't seem to understand how you're top dog in that group of yours."

"Maybe it's because i'm good looking, popular, and sexy."

"... You've been drinking again, huh?"

"Shut up."

Deep laughter was heard amongst the front yard of the Himura house and soon tan hands were stretched out in a silly attempt to catch the sun's rays. His beautiful red hair rested over his shoulder and as he heard another deep chuckle, his light violet eyes looked over to see his best friend smirking at his attire.

"Black shorts and a black beater... _**chuckles.**_"

"What?" he asked with mock hurt and confusion.

"You're a black-n-white prep."

"So?"

"It's... weird."

"Aoshi, you're like King of Punks and Goths and Emos alike. And you're my best friend, so that makes you weird too."

"I was born weird. You choose to be this way." Aoshi stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"(snorts) As if, bitch."

Ice blue green eyes turned to the left and as he glared at the smiling red-head, he shook his dark brown bangs from his eyes.

"Kenshin. I'm a bitch now? You're hanging around Kamatari too much."

"(gasp) Are you calling me _gay?_" he looked shocked and hurt by the action.

"Only the **top **and best gay around." As he started to laugh to tease Kenshin, the Himura boy growled and he 'hmph'ed before he turned his head to the side.

"Fuck you. Let's get going."

Kenshin rose to his feet with Aoshi and as soon as they were standing at full height, Kenshin grew pissed off. "This is so wrong! I'm only five-seven! You're like six-fucking-five!"

"Get over it, shortie. Basketball season you'll be praising me."

Kenshin unlocked his car doors and after they both got into the Black Mazda CX-7, Kenshin took a look at his peach colored home. Even though it wasn't as big as the others amongst his preppy group, he still loved it and he smiled gently as he saw his mother in the window waving. He honked his horn a little before he sighed and started the car up. Aoshi leaned his chair back and after Kenshin reversed from the driveway, the two best friends began their daily ritual of "cafe chat."

Now, "cafe chat" was something that Aoshi's sister used to do when she was in high school because her best friend was a goth and they barely saw each other during school with classes and the cliques at lunch. It was now a tradition the two picked up that they had been doing since middle school since they themselves barely had classes together now. They'd talk, drink tea and eat desserts, plan their weekend events and then laugh about everything that was going on in their groups daily things.

Prep Boy and Emo King were the funniest combination the cafe had ever seen.

"Me and Tomoe might get back together." Kenshin suddenly stated as they left their suburban area.

"Are you serious, Kenshin? She's a bitch."

"She's my first love, Aoshi." he gently responded. "I can't help but love her."

Aoshi made a sour face and as Kenshin crossed the intersection, he shifted and stared out the window. Amethyst eyes glanced over for a split second before he turned his wheel and made a right.

"Are you made at me, Aoshi?"

"How can I be? It's your decision. You want to go with a back-stabbing bitch, you go with her."

"Don't say it that way!"

"It's true!" Aoshi barked at him as he sat up. "I have the fucking proof on her! Why should I lie about what is a fact?!"

Both their glares were deadly and as Kenshin parked the car, the emo lord sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Let's forget about this. I don't want to fuck up my tea and I have a lot to tell you today anyways, alright? It never came up."

"... Fine." the two shook hands and Kenshin then smiled at him.

"Let's get cheesecake, my friend."

* * *

"Here's your cheesecake! Enjoy!"

"Thank you very much!"

Kenshin flashed the waitress a smile and as she turned around, Aoshi glared a hole in her back before Kenshin caught his attention again. His pale hands felt on the smooth polished wood and as his eyes looked around the warm atmosphere of people chatting and smiling happily. He tended to daydream about this type of stuff and as he began to plot a new act of rebellion from it, Kenshin snapped his fingers in front of his face. Ice blue eyes blinked twice.

"Sorry."

"It's alright. You think a lot. Speaking of thoughts, how is your bubbly wife Misao?"

"That airhead? The same lunatic she's always been." Kenshin laughed as Aoshi sipped on his tea with a gentle grin on his features.

"You know you love her." he teased.

"Of course."

There was a comfortable silence for a few moments, but as soon as Kenshin put his first spoonful of "heaven" into his mouth, Aoshi finally remembered what he was supposed to tell him and looked up at the red head's blissful face.

"I'm not going to say what I want to say for that face. Anyways, there's a new girl in town." Kenshin raised his head up in surprise and curiosity.

"Seriously? We haven't had a new kid in two years. Where?"

"Up in the **rich** rich district. You know my father's brother, Seth, right? The one with the different last name?"

"... Yeah! He's a riot when he comes to your crib." Aoshi groaned and slid his hands over his face.

"What did I do?" Kenshin asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Don't prep talk to me that way. It stings, you know."

He glared at the taller male as he sat up straight and tried to add more height to himself. Aoshi smirked as he raised his head up and after growing tired, he sighed and slumped back down in defeat.

"Anyways," Aoshi said as he rolled his eyes to the frowning redhead. "Seth married a woman named Kaname about nine years ago, but she had a daughter--"

"--From a previous marriage, but court orders sent her here because they think her household isn't a good environment for a minor to live in. I saw it coming."

"... We watch Law and Order too much."

The two began to laugh as Kenshin exclaimed "We're **SVU** nerds!"

"But, seriously. She's a rich chick. I'm going to say 'hi' tonight with the family. Mom's forcing me."

"Awww..."

"Sarcasm isn't your forte, Himura. It's Megumi's. That preppy bitch."

"Don't let Sanosuke hear you." Kenshin said in a fake warning tone. "He might try to beat you again."

"Yeah, like he can beat me. I flipped his ass last week."

"_**snorts**_ I got it on footage." The two shared a quiet laugh before Kenshin slid his spoon into his mouth.

"Hey, how rich do you mean?"

"Her father runs a large business. She's fucking stacked. Seth said she's very unique, though."

"Not a snob?"

"Not at all."

"(sigh) That's good... her looks?"

Aoshi gave a smirk. "You gonna drop Tomoe and go for this one?"

"Give me looks, loser. I told you 'might' in the car."

"Black hair, bright blue eyes, slightly pale skin... two inches shorter than you, probably. But, Seth said she's a heartthrob Quote: "_If she wasn't my wife's daughter, i'd hit on her every chance I could get."_"

"... We'll find out at school tomorrow." Kenshin's phone rang before Aoshi could comment and after he put a finger up, he put the phone to his ear.

"Hello?... Hey, Sanosuke. What's going on?... You said we're having a big dinner at nine?"

"_A get together dinner. Can you make it? We really need you there, reddy._"

Aoshi grew annoyed at the interruption and turned his eyes to look out the window. "I can't. Tonight is **AoshixKenshin** bash night. Tradition, my friend."

"_You can't just skip out?_" His irritated eyes now turned into a glare at the glass since he could hear every word. His eyes drifted upward, the wonder now in his expression showing, and Kenshin had to smile as he ignored Sanosuke's rants. His eyes were still ice and his face was calm, but years of friendship between the two helped Kenshin tell that he was examining and analyzing.

_The Punk Lord loved the wonders of nature and the world around him while the Prep Boy loved to watch him and smile at the little innocence he had left._

"I can't cancel Have fun, though!"

"_Kenshin, come on!_"

"Sorry, Sano. Ja ne!"

Aoshi heard the phone shut and after he narrowed his eyes at the bird flying past, Kenshin chuckled at how his eyes seemed to follow.

"Aoshi, the bird will be flying until he gets eaten, hit, or just simply dies."

"I know that." he replied.

"...That bird had half a wing."

Never had there been a time where Kenshin laughed so hard in the cafe.

* * *

"Go enjoy yourself and be back by nine or i'm gonna go to dinner, Aoshi."

"Go to the dinner, all-star. We'll be back very late."

"Mrs. Shinomori! _**Whines**_ You're taking my Aoshi away from me!"

"(laughs) You'll manage without your _lover._"

"Who's going to tuck me in and sing softly while holding me?"

"Don't fucking play with me, Kenshin--"

"--Aoshi!"

"... Sorry, mom."

Kenshin sent a quick text that he was gonna go to dinner and after watching Aoshi's car pull away from his house, he pouted and Aoshi sent his own version of a frown through the window. The two soon smiled and gave each other the middle finger as the car drove off. Aoshi's finger was still visible through his sun roof. Kenshin let his hair fall from his hair tie and he then opened the front door to get into the house.

"Kenshin?! Are you home, dear?!"

"Yeah, ma!" he called back towards the kitchen. He quietly walked past the living and passed through the dining room to enter the kitchen His mother gave him a gentle smile. Reddish brown hair was tied into a bun as she stirred food in the pot and rubbed at her warm blue eyes. Kenshin leaned over and he held his hair back as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Sanosuke called to tell you about dinner."

"I know. I'll leave in an hour... where are the brats?"

"Your _sisters_ are upstairs cleaning their room. They had a huge war today and made a horrible mess."

"(laughs) They had another adventure, huh?"

"Well, my my! Just how'd you guess?" sarcasm dripped from her voice as Kenshin narrowed his eyes at her and 'hmph'ed playfully. He ended up laughing at her crossing her eyes in a joking manner before he ran his fingers through his hair again and watched her moving around the kitchen quickly.

"Oi." she finally sighed. "Come chop these for me, Kenshin? Hiko's not home."

"(snort) Like he'd chop anything." Kenshin moved to the counter and after washing his hands he grabbed a knife and began to quickly chop the carrots, lettuce, and tomatoes. Everything came out neat and fancy-like because... well, he LOVED to cook! Another little secret of his, but who was counting how many now? He probably had a box full.

"All done, ma'am. Has big brother called?"

"Not today." his mother sighed as she fanned herself from her seat. A slim slender leg was stretched out as she dropped her head down against the table.

"Madox will call tomorrow. Now you go and get ready to go out for dinner."

"You don't want me home?" Kenshin gave a cute pout to her and then frowned playfully at her evil laughter.

"You go have fun while I turn your room into a whore house. But be in by midnight because it's a school night and I don't want my son running the streets, okay? You'll have chains and whips by the time you get back."

"_**laughs**_ Okay, mom."

Kenshin kissed her cheek before going back out to the living room and walking up the stairs. The second room to his left made him laugh as he glanced in at the two little brunettes fighting over where to put a stuffed bear. '_They're such little monsters._' As he stepped into the room, the two instantly forgot to scream at each other and they ran straight to him with cheers. Kenshin always knew how to settle their wars and he loved his sisters to death. The two little girls beamed at him brightly after he took the bear from their hands, Ayame—being older by two years (5)—spoke up with a look of anger i her eyes.

"Put our bear down **now**, Kenshin!"

"Yeah, put our bear down!"

Suzume bounced up and down with irritation, her two pig-tails flopping behind her with each jump into the air. Everything Ayame said, Suzume repeated with confidence as her back-up. Both their light brown eyes flashed dangerously again and as Kenshin placed the bear on the dresser, he sat them down.

"The bear will go right there."

"Why?! It should be on my side!" Ayame declared.

"No, my side!" Suzume barked back angrily.

"Stop it now." Kenshin demanded and they glared at each other before facing their older brother once more and looking at his soft smile.

"Because now the bear is equally between both your beds. Stop fighting and finish cleaning up, okay? I'll bring home some treats for your lunch tomorrow."

"Hai!" they cried in unison. Kenshin kissed both their heads and then he left their room telling them goodnight.

"Oyasumi Nasai!" they cried to him as he shut the door. He went straight to his room at the end of the hallway and once inside, he walked right to his black and white closet.

"What to wear... what to wear... hmm..." his amethyst eyes darted around as he rested his hand under his chin and once he clapped his hands with an idea, he grabbed a pair of black cargo shorts.

"I know what to wear."

Half an hour later, Kenshin was down the steps yelling goodbye as he left through the front door. He was quick to jump into his car and after reversing out, he made sure he had his wallet and was on his quest to the restaurant. A white button-up and a black shirt underneath was all he needed to look to die for. His hair was brushed to a shine and the black K-swiss on his feet were stepping outside the house for the first time since he bought them. As he smiled at himself in the mirror, he looked ahead on the road and gave the car more gas.

"To _Sharea's_!"

* * *

"You made it, Kenshin! I'm so relieved!"

"I told you that we had to cancel tonight, Sano."

"What do you see in being friends with that loser, anyway?"

"He's my best friend. We grew up together and we've been through everything together. We're going to hang out and we're going to continue to be friends until our deaths. End of our 136th discussion on the matter."

Kenshin sat down and after giving everybody a smile and a wave, he sighed gently and pulled his hair behind his ears. The table was full of the top and as Kenshin shifted his seat at the head, he flashed another smile and joined in the conversation of greeting everybody. The table had eleven people who were all dressed in nice cheerful colors (minus Kenshin.) Each were attractive, each had brains—minus Sanosuke—and each did a sport that had them well known around school. _**Elite Preps**_ was what they called themselves and they each took it seriously... well, most of them anyways. Kenshin and two others were still a question mark on how serious he wanted to be. But, besides that little point, they were a close knit group. Hell, they even had shirts with their made-up names on the back.

The males at the table were Kenshin Himura (the all star), Sanosuke Sagara (the football/track fanatic), the male twins Soshi and Soujiro Seta-Okita (tennis and fencing lovers), Kamatari Honjo (the gay fashion happy prep) and Ryuzaburo Higashiyama (the lacrosse-loving artist).

The females at the table were Megumi Takani (the varsity cheerleader and Sanosuke's girlfriend), Sayo Muto (the cheerleader with her own Christian worship group), Tomoe Yukishirou (the swimmer/soccer player and Kenshin's ex) and the female twins Sae and Tae Sekihara (the field hockey players).

These were the people that Kenshin hung around with when Aoshi wasn't with him. The **main **crew. These were the people that he partied with and sometimes drank with for fun. Asides from poetry and Aoshi, this made Kenshin's life move smoothly and allowed him to enjoy it every day. Without them, he knows it'd be hard to do what he normally did. His smile always proved how grateful he was to have friends like them.

"So, what are doing this week?" Tae asked.

"Soccer match." Kenshin and Tomoe said with boredom. Their eyes met and lingered on each other's for a moment before they gave each other small smiles and Kenshin looked around at everybody else. Nobody could deny the chemistry that still remained between the two.

"Tennis tournament."

"Cheerleading."

"Football."

"Lacrosse and art contest."

"... So," Kenshin finally said. "That's basically the usual."

They laughed and nodded at his comment before Kenshin brought up another topic as they started to look at their menus.

"Who heard about the new kid coming to school?"

""Whoever it is isn't a prep. That's all I heard." Megumi stated.

"My dad sad it's a girl." Soujiro cheerfully said. "Being a vice principal has its perks."

Kenshin listened to everything and as they began to talk about the annoyance of the punks/goths/emos alike, in another area Aoshi was yawning as he finished up an apple and stopped talking to his Uncle Seth. The two had escaped the other conversations (Aoshi's grandfather Okina hadn't been lucky), and after toasting on a little wine, spoke about school and Aoshi's girlfriend.

"You want to see Kaoru?"

"Thought she wasn't here--"

He couldn't finish his sentence as both their bright colored eyes looked up to the ceiling. Their ears were filled with guitar and as Aoshi gasped at the dark tone of the chords and the quickness of the fingers moving at the single notes, Seth flashed a big grin and he began to lead him towards the stairs.

"She's playing that herself, you know. Been up there doing guitar riffs for a few hours now." Kaname had a frown on her face and as Aoshi was softly nodding his head to the music, Seth pointed him to the stairs.

"Go up the steps and it's the last door on your right that leads you up to the attic. Have fun with her. She's amazing."

Aoshi nodded and as he ascended the stairs, the guitar grew louder and more faster than before. '_She sounds __**amazing**__. I never knew girls could play so fucking dark and... sexy. Gods, if I wasn't in a relationship._' His long legs quickly took him to the end of the hallway and after he opened the door, his heart beat in pleasure at how pure it sounded now. Nothing was forced and there were no soft stops to think about what to do next. It flowed like a river and the sound was sexy to his ears. He closed the door behind him and as he began to walk up the steps, his eyes looked at the walls on either side of him and examined the art.

'_She's an artist too?! These are very creative... I think i'm going to like this girl._'

Once he reached the top of the steps, Aoshi was greeted with one of the sexiest things he had ever seen. Next to his girlfriend dancing around in a bikini, this was what he would remember in the future when he thought about how he met his soon-to-be new best friend. He didn't see her face yet, but what he saw was Kaoru's black hair moving with her whole body as she jammed and she felt the music deep inside her veins. She had on short-shorts that were bright blue, a bright green top with blue polka dots on it, mix-match socks, and a pair of light blue Kaoru-designed converses that Aoshi immediately wanted to steal. Her creamy pale skin slightly glowed with a light sweat and as she jumped up, she strung the last chord and let her arm swing around before sighing.

"Beautiful."

She jumped with a squeal and as she turned around, Aoshi finally saw her face. Her black hair was falling over her shoulders as she was knelt forward a little, and her light blue eyes were filled with excitement and surprise. Her pink lips were slight parted and as their eyes met, she stood up straight and watched him put a hand on his chest.

"Please excuse my rudeness, but Seth just sent me up here. I didn't think you'd hear me if I knocked, so I figured i'd just walk up and introduce myself."

"I see." was the gentle reply he got back from the shorter female. An uneasy silence filled the room as Kaoru put her guitar back and turned the amplifier off. It was only when she knelt forward to move some books back onto a small colorful shelf that Aoshi decided to break the silence. It surprised him since usually others broke the silence again.

"You play amazing for a girl. There aren't really a lot of female guitarists on your level in this town."

"How do you know?"

"I play for a band, and when we asked for auditions, they all were bad... You wanna join _**The Kodachi-Luverz**_?"

"... I have to think about it."

Kaoru sat down in her bean bag seat and after patting the next one, Aoshi removed his shoes and placed them up neatly before going to sit down himself. Kaoru flipped her hair over her shoulder before she turned to face him and she flashed him one of the prettiest smiles he had ever seen.

"My name's Kaoru. I'm assuming you're Aoshi; Seth's nephew?"

"Yeah. Aoshi Shinomori."

"Nice to meet you." she giggled as they shook hands. Aoshi flashed her a small smirk before he looked around her room in awe.

"This place is awesome. You did all this?"

"Yup. My mother's... whatever she wanted to call it, bored the shit out of me. So, the first day I got here I trashed all her shit and did my own room."

"Even the mattress?" Aoshi said in a slightly joking tone.

"Even the mattress." He stared at her in surprise before he let another smirk come up on his lips.

"You wanna leave this house and go do something fun?"

"Only if we take my car." she stated. He nodded before she rose up, spritzed some vanilla body spray on them both, and led them both down the steps. After shutting the door, she turned around and whistled at their height difference. Aoshi arched his eyebrow while she put her hands on her hips and leaned back.

"You're really tall, Aoshi. Seth's shorter than you."

"I know. My father and his father were two different people. Thus explaining their last names, see?"

"Yeah; he did tell me about that. How tall are you?"

"I'm six-foot-four." Kaoru whistled again and after she moved close to him, she slid her arms up around his neck and felt him tense up at the action. Once she let him go, he stood up to full height again and she flashed him a mischievous grin.

"I've always wanted to do that to a tall person. Like, in the movies, ya know? Anyways, let's get going _**cousin**_."

Aoshi sighed gently in relief and after the two walked all the way to the main floor, Kaname and Seth appeared with Aoshi's mother and his grandfather. Kaoru stopped before she said 'hello' politely and went to grab her keys.

"That's my daughter Kaoru." Kaname said as she watched her daughter flip her hair over her shoulder again and slip on a light blue hoodie. She left the zipper down and after she went to the door, Aoshi tossed his keys to Seth.

"Aoshi's going to show me everything he knows about this town and then we're going to grab some late night smoothies. That alright with you guys?"

"Go." Seth said before the women could interrupt. They each shot him dry looks and after Aoshi gave a soft wave to his mother, Kaoru bowed politely and shut the door behind them. No words were said until Aoshi saw Kaoru's car.

"Fucking awesome."

"Thanks! I love this baby. _**Laughs**_ You don't see a lot of girls from my town driving Ford Explorers."

"They don't in this town either."

The two got in and after Kaoru got tired of her hair, she tied it up into a ponytail and she reversed down the driveway. Aoshi buckled up while she turned her **Ipod** on and she pressed play. His eyes opened up in shock as he turned to her and arched his eyebrow.

"_**Edison Glass? **_You listen to **Let Go** by them?"

"I love this song." Kaoru honestly replied as she turned it up louder and sped off down the street bouncing in her seat. "What other kind of bands do you like?"

"I'll show you soon." was her smooth reply. Aoshi leaned his seat back a little and after Kaoru leaned over her wheel to look both ways, she made a right and continued to sing the words and dance as she controlled the car. Aoshi was quietly looking out the window and after Kaoru noticed, she smiled and hit his leg.

"Liven up, Aoshi! Sing along with me!"

"The Punk Lord doesn't sing."

"Well, this emo-girl wants you to. Now, sing and talk with me! You don't know what you're missing by it."

Aoshi, who couldn't help but give in to her smile, slowly began to sing with her. By the time they reached town and Kaoru started the song over on demand, the two were bouncing and singing with their windows rolled down and people watching them as they moved by.

"_Last night, I awoke to an opera house full of empty seats_

_performing Einstein on the beach_

_You stifled this to long and the dream inside is far too strong_

_you got to, got to learn to let go, LET GO!_"

The two laughed together at the light and as Kaoru hit the wheel and rested her forehead against it, Aoshi breathed the best way he could and after she gave him a smile, they began to drive further into the beautiful downtown area. Aoshi told her about the different places that were around and after telling her to make a right, the song changed and they both gasped and looked at each other.

"I love this song!" they both had said to each other before Kaoru turned it up and as they began to nod their heads and continue on, Aoshi opened his mouth and without question he started to sing the song and enjoy himself in the car. Kaoru enjoyed listening to his voice and as he told her to make a left, the two began to sing together.

"_The sky falls down at your command  
The city will roar with the sound of terror  
And our world will crumble  
At the sound of your voice  
So take my words, it's not my choice_

_There's no looking back  
Live for right now  
I'm so far away (so far away from you)._"

_**Sharea's**_ was right near the next light they were approaching and as there was another red light, Kaoru put her car in park and unbuckled her seat belt. There wasn't a car coming from any directions and as Kaoru changed the song, she unlocked the doors and unhooked Aoshi. He arched his eyebrow and after she told him to get out and dance, he shook his head.

"Not me. Maybe my girlfriend, but not me."

"Come on." Kaoru whined as she pulled her hoodie over her head to hide her hair. "There isn't cars for miles! This'll be so much fun! We can even get a myspace picture."

"I don't think so."

"You're coming out." Kaoru demanded and after starting the song over, she got out the car and she walked around to his side. Aoshi was pulled out and after Kaoru started the song over one last time, she began to move her hips and dance. Aoshi just stood there with a smirk and as the beat had dropped in the rock song, she began to move her whole body in the mix and make people watch her as they walked past. Aoshi, after a few seconds, began to join in the fun and not care who saw. Inside the restaurant, eleven eyes turned to her as Megumi had arched her eyebrow and pointed.

"Is that Aoshi _**dancing**_?" Soujiro asked in shock. Kenshin's head shot up and after he turned his head as well, he was surprised to see that it was indeed Aoshi dancing and smirking at the laughing girl next to him. Kenshin felt a tad bit jealous that the girl got him to do something that he would never be able to and after Aoshi looked at the restaurant window, his eyes widened as he saw Kenshin staring at him. Kaoru arched her eyebrow as she wondered why he stopped and as he leaned down and turned her head, he pointed.

"See the red-head? That's my best friend." Aoshi waved with a nod and as Kenshin waved back, Kaoru tilted her head gently and blinked curious blue eyes. She walked up to the glass and after she moved to where he was sitting at, she touched the glass and pointed to her hand with a smile.

"Huh?" Kenshin said with confusion as she removed the bright blue hand-glove on her hand. Secretly, he loved the light pink tone of her palm.

"Touch!" she yelled loud enough for him to hear. Kenshin raised his hand up and after they protested for him not to, he placed his hand on the window anyways. He didn't know why, but he felt a little warmth move through his palm and his fingertips. The girls at the table looked at the girls' outfit and after they studied the style in slight wonder about how she put it together, Kaoru knelt down a little and moved her hand so that it was aligned with his own. Aoshi made faces at Sanosuke's glare and after pointing to his ass and smirking, Kaoru moved her hand a little bit more and she leaned closer in. Kenshin felt his face grow a soft blush and after Kaoru flashed a smile, Tomoe grew jealous of the way Kenshin stared into her eyes. She pulled away just when Kenshin started leaning closer as well.

"Thanks!" she yelled and after Sanosuke rose from his seat, Megumi pulled him down as Aoshi bent forward again and slapped his butt to taunt the brunette inside. Kaoru jogged over to her 'baby' and after Aoshi got back in, she revved it up a few times and the loud music was soon gone. Most of the restaurant sighed in relief.

"What the hell is wrong with those kids? They need their own fucking town to just rot in."

"Aoshi Shinomori boils my blood." Sanosuke growled as he hit the table gently. "Every time I see this guy, I just want to punch his lights out."

More and more bad talk went around before Kenshin sighed and he called for the check. They turned to him in shock and after he ordered another group of cheesecake and brownie squares, he turned to his friends and shrugged his shoulders at their shocked faces.

"Dinner is now officially over. We were supposed to be having a nice conversation, but now we're cursing people to hell over ice cream and cake. Before it turns worse, we're going to try and end it on a good note. Besides, Aoshi does it because he knows it pushes your buttons, Sanosuke. Why feed into his taunts? He's laughing at you inside, you know."

Sanosuke 'hmph'ed gently as he shoved ice cream into his mouth and as he got his bag of treats, he held up his credit card and let the waiter take it away. They began to pass money down to him and after he slipped it all into his wallet, he was asked to sign a paper and then given his credit card back. They rose up from the table somewhat calm before they began to exit the restaurant and head towards the parking lot.

"It's Sano's turn to use his credit card at the next lunch or dinner we have." Megumi stated. They laughed at his groan before they approached their cars and began to climb in. Just as Kenshin was going to get into his vehicle, a small hand touched his shoulder. He turned around with an arched eyebrow before he smiled warmly at the girl gazing at him with dark brown eyes.

"Hey, Ken."

"Hey, Tomoe." Her pale fingers pulled her hair behind her ears while they gave each other gentle smiles. Kenshin leaned against his door and after she folded her hands behind her back, she gave a sigh. The smile never faded from her lips.

"We haven't really been talking lately."

"I know."

"How's your family? They're okay, right?"

"Yeah, they're fine. The girls are good and mother's still her sarcastic self. Hiko's being Hiko as well."

"_**laughs**_ You still hold a grudge at him because he beat you in basketball?"

"Yes, I do. He stepped on my foot and when I knelt down to grab it went and shot that winning point. He won't give me a re-match now."

"You and your father are something else." she laughed again in her hand. Kenshin chuckled gently as he nodded and it soon became silent again. The silence was comfortable and as Tomoe leaned into him, Kenshin let their lips meet. He didn't feel as much heat as he used to, but it was still good enough for him as she moved away and began to walk backwards.

"I'll see you tomorrow at school?"

"You will." Kenshin replied before Tomoe smiled again and jumped into Tae and Sae's car. Kenshin got into his own and after he started it up and drove off, he sent a text out to Aoshi.

'**Hey, u go home yet?**' The drive was boring for him without his partner in crime and after he pulled up to his house, he finally got a text back.

'**No, i'll be home in a few. This girl is fuckin' awesome. U gotta chill with her, Kenshin. She's better than Tomoe.**'

Kenshin shook his head with a laugh and after he carried his bag into the house, he checked the time.

"Eleven, huh... Oh shit! _**Eleven**_?! Damn, I gotta go on at eleven-thirty!" Kenshin quietly rushed into the house and after putting the desserts into the fridge, he rushed upstairs and into his room. His hands slipped underneath the bed to grab his large black book and after he changed his pants and shirt, he checked in on his siblings. Asleep. His purple eyes peered in to see his mother snuggled up close against his father on top of the sheets. He smirked and shut their door before he went back down the steps and out the front door. He had never turned the car off, so it was easy for him to just reverse out the driveway and head off down the street.

"I got a slot to do some singing poetry and I almost forget. Jesus, I should've just refused the dinner and hung out there." He sprayed some cologne on him as he continued his voyage. He was quick to leave the city and after driving for another ten minutes he arrived in their next-door neighboring town. Their downtown was beautiful with neon lights and as Kenshin smiled at the display going across his window, his violet eyes caught sight of his destination. He was quick to park across the street and after he sighed and shut is car off, he got out the car and began his walk towards one of the greatest places he had ever been to.

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_ flashed in bright lights and slowly, yet sexually, it brought Kenshin inside its bright blue doors to open his mouth and pour his emotions out of his heart.

_**Laughs**_ If only he knew that he would find the love of his life inside waiting to dance that very night.

* * *

**R.S.:** Here's chapter two! I am so very sorry that this was as late as it was! We've been having family issues and soccer practice is taking all my energy with the different practice times and what not. But, i'll hopefully have another chapter up by Friday or Saturday! In that chapter they meet again, but he doesn't recognize her because he never saw her hair and her full face. She had on the hoodie.

review 4 me plez?

-_**rampaging sorrow**_


	5. The Musical Poetry Club

**R.S.: **Hello everybody! I'm so sorry that this is coming so late! It's been really fucking rough for me the end of August and right now. I started school and whatnot too, so i'm pissed off that I haven't been able to write as much as I wanted to. Anyways, here is chapter three! This is another meet for Kenshin and Kaoru, but now they learn each other's names without having to hear about it! _**Lol**_ and they do something else pretty cool. Enjoy!

Oh and btw? The songs in the last chapter were _**Let Go**_ by **Edison Glass **and _**Why is 6 Afraid of 7**_ by** Before their eyes**. Also, on the guitar, Kaoru was playing the lead guitar parts for _**Antlion**_ by **Dance Gavin Dance**. If you listen to it, you'll hear the lead guitarist just doing an _**awesome**_ job on the solos and what not.

**-**_**Rampaging Sorrow**_

_**P.S.:**_ That poem was fucking hard to make. He's supposed to be kinda like a def poetry flow. Plez tell me how i did on it?

* * *

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_

_**By: Rampaging Sorrow**_

**Chapter Three: The Musical Poetry Club**

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_ was a place that everybody—no matter what you were—could go to and speak their minds about anything that they felt through poetry. It was a place where they could make music while they told their small stories through words that formed stanzas and verses for everybody to hear. It was place where you said what you had to say with **emotion** and **power**, without anything being held back for anybody and you weren't criticized for what you said... verbally, anyways.

You had a voice when you were inside the club. You had a say in what you felt. If you were always being hushed or shut down, it didn't happen in the club. The only thing that wasn't tolerated was cursing after every sentence. No words like, "_Fuck the pain that courses through my damn chest. Fuck the lies that run through my head._" that wasn't aloud. Even thought it was freedom of speech, the place did have class. Everybody aboded by this rule and because people were so open-minded, things ran smoothly every night and people danced to songs, gave cheers from words they felt, and shared drinks like hot chocolate and lemonade (nothing alcoholic here.)

Kenshin found this place after an angry burst of energy with his brother during his eighth grade year. He (who had shorter hair back then and almost 24-7 amber eyes) rode his motor-bike all the way from Oakley to Fayer ville (which is the next town over). It was late at the time and when he had locked his bike up to walk around the beautiful night life, a senior at his high school invited him along inside since he was good friends with Kenshin's brother. After that, the rest was history. Kenshin became an addict for writing poetry and he rode over there every weekend to speak his words out n express. Not many people came from Oakley either, so Kenshin was great with hiding it.

He was some sort of a legend around the club. His words were like truth. He spoke of things that you could relate to. Not just complete sadness or strictly love stuff. **Everything**. Nothing was held back when he stood on the stage and he voiced his opinion. Sometimes he used a guitar (he's good at it, mind you) and there also was piano (amazingly graceful against the keys), but most of the time he stood and presented his words with pride and no sense of fear. People loved to hear Kenshin's works and they _**always**_ told him to present. But Kenshin? Oh, not Kenshin. Kenshin was too modest, too shy to even think of publishing his works (he could make a pretty penny too).

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_ is a place Kenshin calls his third home (Aoshi's his second) and it's a beautiful place. The inside isn't some warm 'let's sit by the fireplace n chat' type outlook. This place had colored lights on the ceiling that moved around, the stage was backed up by a wall with '**MPC**' in huge designed letters. The little bar area (still no alcoholic drinks) had colored cups n glasses and each day there was a different quote for people think about at their tables. There was an area to dance in front and when there were certain dancers who shined the bright lights moved on them and followed their movements. _**Musical Poetry**_ never sounded as beautiful as it could unless you danced to it. Kenshin knew from experience.

But, he didn't know that tonight would be the best time that he's ever had. He didn't know that one song would stick in this mind for a very long time and he'd remember that song with one of the best dances that he's ever given. This night at _**The Musical Poetry Club**_ was the night that Kenshin would find another book in this room and start writing about the ways that he'd fallen in love.

_**And now we begin the magic**_

* * *

"He's so boring... oh my god, get off the stage already."

Kenshin's groan was barely audible as he yawned and he drank down the rest of his water. He was supposed to be going on after this performance, but now he realized that he was in for a long wait. Violet eyes were irritated beyond comprehension and as he waved his hand for another glass of water, he banged his forehead against the table. A few eyes turned to glance in his direction, but he didn't care as he thanked his waiter for the water and he took a few sips.

'_I'm so fucking ready to go! Who the hell cares about how you feel anymore?! We don't need some twenty minutes of how depressed you've been feeling after your break-up! Stupid sonovabitch, why the hell..._'

And he continued to curse the man out on stage, his eyes now a dangerous gold, for the next twenty minutes. Once the man bowed, they all clapped and he cheered 'it's about damn time!'. Three others agreed with him. As he grabbed his book and after drinking down the rest of his water, he heard his name being introduced and they applauded with eager and volume as he walked up to the stage and put his book down on his stool. He adjusted the microphone to his level and after he looked at the crowd, he gave a warm smile.

"How's everybody doing tonight?" he asked gently and once he got claps again, he chuckled and he fixed his black t-shirt. White designs ran through the shirt to make it look creative. His audience watched him shift gently and after he thought about his words, he put his lips back towards the mic.

"As some of you know, two months ago I read a piece called '_**Allie**_'; in which this piece described a teenage girl's life and some of the emotions she felt up to the point where she ran from home. I told you all I would bring the second part, and tonight I will give it to you. This is the continuation of '_**Allie**_' and I hope you all enjoy it."

Kenshin sighed gently and as he cleared his throat and got his flow together, he heard silence all around as they waited for him to speak.

(**A/N: **The ... are for pauses, the .. is for a quick stop, the **bold** print is for the volume in his voice, the _italic _print is for the way he stretches out the word, and the underlined is for to emphasize. If two of these are put together, use this and you'll see what he was trying to do.)

"It's been four long months now...  
Four long months since Allie's lost her way and **nobody** wants to save her...  
Because Allie is foolish, because Allie is blind, because _**Allie**_ doesn't want to hear anybody...but herself.  
See, Allie's experienced mental slaughter and she _**still **_can't believe how a father could rape his own daughter  
I mean, fathers are supposed to be good to their daughters. Fathers are supposed to lead their daughters;  
**Fathers** are supposed to support and be there for their **daughters.**  
All Allie wishes that her father would've put her on the right track  
_**Not**_ feel sick pleasures from her nails clawing at his back.  
But because Allie's father rapes her and because Allie's father beats her she doesn't see the good and her darkness is desperate for some light.  
The wrong kind of light."

In the crowd, light blue eyes watched him with different emotions swirling through it's orbs and pink lips parted gently to let out a breath. Almost everybody was listening to his words and feeling his poetic story. His eyes were gold to show that he felt some anger from it.

"She cries into the night for her mother to revive her soul and to take her along for the eternal rest  
But deep inside she knows that the woman she loves is forever gone.  
Allie can't sleep, Allie can barely eat, _**Allie**_ needs an open ear... an open heart...  
She says 'fuck the shoes and to hell with my socks' and with nothing but her body she runs...  
She runs so far, this tormented girl. So far not even her mind keeps up with the track-star pace.  
Allie forbids herself to go return and she desperately demands love in any way... any shape... any form...  
But Allie continues to look in all the wrong places and Allie _continues_ to examine all the wrong faces  
She's jumped to the other side of the tracks and given herself into the night life of downtown darkness.

Allie never looks back and she "never regrets" because she doesn't know what love should really feel like  
The stilettos hurt her feet, but she has **nothing** to live for as she stands on 4th and Kingston  
Her heart has been shredded to bits and her sanity is nothing but a memory in her mind  
And each time she gets taken into the cars, each time she is thrown down onto a bed, each time she's even **slapped**  
She cries to in her mind that it's _love_. That it's what she needs to feel _whole_ again.

But, Allie doesn't get that she'll never forget that no matter how she says she won't regret  
The emptiness will swarm around like a bug in her _chest_.  
And with each act of denial it'll start to manifest  
until she is, simply _**nothing **_**left!**

Our poor Allie; won't you save yourself?  
Is this the lifestyle you pictured for yourself?  
To just, sell yourself and cry to yourself  
lay down like a dog and surrender to yourself!

Oh dear Allie, why don't you change yourself  
Just try and make it a good world for yourself  
Nobody wants to watch you slowly kill yourself,  
Why don't you.. praise yourself and nurture yourself

In the end you can only care and live for yourself..."

The light blue eyes, along with many others in the audience, were filled with unshed tears as Kenshin's eyes were a sad shade of violet. His whole expression showed his pain and as he took another breath, he slowly began to finish.

"Her poor corrupted soul goes through the worst of sins and the memories burn her chest like a bottle of gin  
But Allie continues on and Allie doesn't hope for the future. What is hope now with all she's been through?  
Her dreams are shattered and nothing more than a painful reminder how she's fucked up.  
But, everybody has a chance at redemption.  
Allie has a _chance_ at _**salvation!**_  
And yet she doesn't see it. She doesn't believe in herself.

Oh Allie... won't your put your stilettos up?"

They began to applaud him with claps and as Kenshin bowed gently and thanked them, he got a few whistles and he flashed a small smile into the crowd before he left the stage and headed back towards the bar. He sat down and as he got a few pats on the back, he gave them all smiles and thanked them for their praising. Kenshin swallowed down some soda and sighed sharply before he turned around to watch the next performer. A triumphant smile slipped onto his face.

'_I rocked the house tonight._'

* * *

"Now, know that this isn't a club, but we just got the **EP** from _**Forever the Sickest Kids**_. It's so fire, we want you guys to hear one song and maybe dance. If you want to, anyways. Now, we gave some people four glow-sticks and we're going to dim the lights a little to see who comes and moves like they know how. You might even get a prize at the end, okay? Let's get this thing going on and then we'll have two more poets before our special music guest for the night!"

Now, Kenshin wasn't a glow-stick fan (even though he could do some mean tricks at the club), but his curiosity got the best of him and he walked over to see who was going to come out to show what they had. While he was moving towards the empty space, the same light-blue eyed person from earlier who felt his poetry so much was moving around asking some people for one glow stick each.

"If you don't want to dance, let me use one to make a scene. You'll love what i'm about to do."

With those words, five glow-sticks had been given up with curiosity. As Kenshin saw the lights dim, he grew thirsty and went towards the bar for another drink of ginger-ale.

"This song is called **I don't know about you, but I came to dance.** How rad is that. Anyways, let's get these dancers out there and let's see some lights!"

"You think anybody's gonna go dance out there?" he asked.

"Maybe one or two. Go watch for me." the bartender said with a warm smile.

"Sure thing, Lucius."

Kenshin rose from his seat and after he heard the music starting up, he was let through to see only one girl was standing in the center. She had four glow-sticks in each hand and three tied around her waist. Beautiful black hair was tied in a mid-way ponytail as she slightly bounced to the beginning filled with guitars and drums moving through the room. Her top was pink and green with blue stars bouncing around, light green finger-less gloves with pink hearts, and her pants were a simple pair of jeans with designs swirling down her left calf and her right thigh. A green belt with studs around it and pink converses finished off her outfit. Her eyes were closed through the whole beginning.

'_She's... she's beautiful._'

With the beginning lyrics, she began to dance.

_I could tell from the look in her eye  
Yeah, that's the kind of girl  
Yeah, that's the kind of girl that I  
Would like to spend a night on the town with_

Her movements were on beat and they were smooth without mistakes. Her hips swung as she began to move the multi-colored glow sticks that were tightly knotted on the strings in her hands. Kenshin's violet eyes studied her movements and as a soft smile slipped up on her lips. He could tell that she was bathing in the attention.

_I can __make a bet against the best  
Saying I'm a genuine hypocrite  
When it comes to choosing girls  
With blonde hair over brains_

_It's like a let down  
So much for good times_

She gave a beautiful spin to the talking voice and as she did a slight jump, the chorus slipped into play and she really began to show out.

_You've got my head spinning  
Heart beating out of my chest  
I'm a sucker for lovers, for lovers  
You've got my head spinning  
Heart beating out of my chest  
I'm a sucker for lovers, for lovers_

Kenshin knew he was falling in love with a girl he never met before. Her legs moved with her feet and as she danced around in a circle and she bounced from foot to foot in her own small little circle. He met her eyes and as he saw the light blue color dancing around in her eyes, he felt like could relate to the chorus ten-fold. She was the center of the crowd and as she crossed her feet and moved to the other side, the chorus ended again and the rock beat from the beginning came on. She switched her dancings back to the way she was in the beginning. Kenshin, who was watching with his eyes warm with desire, felt like the song was made for his thoughts. The second verse went into play and she shook her hips slower in a circular motions. The glow sticks were like a rainbow as she slightly winded her body and shut her eyes. The smile never faded from her lips.

_And I'm smoother than words  
You're smoother than curves, girl, yeah  
I speak so eloquently  
That you won't have a chance to deny me, yeah  
I could never leave a girl like you alone, whoa  
I could never leave a girl like you at home._"

'_And who would want to? She's so beautiful..._'

Kenshin was delighted when he saw her eyes turn his way and flash him a seductive smile. There was nothing playful behind it and as she began to spin faster again and moving more to the chorus, he almost forgot where he was and wanted to go take her up into his arms away. The lyrics to the chorus etched themselves into his mind as she stepped and shook her head with a laugh.

_You've got my head spinning  
Heart beating out of my chest  
I'm a sucker for lovers, for lovers  
You've got my head spinning  
Heart beating out of my chest  
I'm a sucker for lovers, for lovers_

She kicked her legs in front of her up and down as she spun the glow sticks behind her and as she crossed her feet again and she danced with one hand spinning above her head. Her hips moved and as her right foot tapped against the ground with the 24-second instrumental, Kenshin watched her throw two glow sticks up into the air and shake her body with the beat.

_You've got my head spinning  
Heart beating out of my chest  
I'm a sucker for lovers, for lovers_

She caught the glow sticks without stopping and she never lost beat as she began to spin them again and cross her arms with the beat and then spin them above her head. The smile that was on her face was beautiful.

_You've got my head spinning  
Heart beating out of my chest  
(Got my head spinning  
heart beating out of my)  
I'm a sucker for lovers, for lovers_

The smile that was on her face was beautiful and as the song slowed to a stop, she did two more spins around her body and she bowed with her arms crossed over her head. The glow sticks hung in front of her bangs and as they cheered and clapped for her, Kenshin was in awe at her style and her creativity. She stood up straight and after she flashed another smile to the crowd, she left the circle that had been formed and they slowly began to move away once more.

"Now **that** is what I was looking for. They're going to love this on myspace, girl. Before you leave, meet me by the other room. Anyways, it's time for our next poet! Come on up, Adrian Webber. That glow stick dance was so awesome, girl."

Kenshin watched her turn and flash a dazzling smile, her legs still bringing her back towards her seat. Her black hair spilled over her shoulder in a sexy fashion and as Kenshin blinked and he felt his heart began to melt with awe, she stuck her tongue between her teeth in a childish fashion and she turned back around before sitting at her table.

'_I'm in love with a dancer._' he thought. '_Wait till Aoshi hears about this._'

* * *

"Alrighty! I would like it if everybody came to the floor and if everybody would enjoy the song that will now be played from a band that is my love. The lead singer is my best friend and since he was so nice to come give us one of his songs, we're going to enjoy the sound that is _**My American Heart.**_"

Kenshin, who hadn't stopped thinking about the dancing girl from the moment the other times of music stopped, rose to his feet once more and moved towards the circle. Once the curtain was raised from the ceiling, he joined the others in clapping and he gave a warm smile.

'_Hopefully the music cools my thoughts._' he cheerfully thought to himself as he looked around to see if she was there. The band gave warm smiles as the lead singer came up to the mic and began to speak.

"Thanks for the intro, bro. Anyways, we are _**My American Heart**_, and tonight we're doing a special song for you guys because we've heard how awesome this place is and how this place is just so low-key. We like low-key." the audience gave a soft laugh as he winked.

"This song is called _**Dangerous**_ and we love this song as much as everybody who hears it. It's a new side of us, ya know? We do hope you will dance and enjoy our creation."

Kenshin clapped again with the others and as they moved to their places, he took a few steps back. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the dancing girl slowly slip up to the front. The drums slowly played for a few seconds and as the music started, she began to dance in the slowly forming U-shape with ballet type movements and a hint of jazz. Kenshin's eyes followed her and as he noticed she was now in a pink uniform-type skirt with green and blue designs around it. Her hair cascaded lovingly down her back in beautiful black waves. Her shoes were now ballet shoes and the ribbons went up her legs as she raised her leg and she dipped slowly forward. Their eyes met in the moment and she smiled at him before she rose up straight and continued her slow movements to his words.

_You may say, our lives have changed.  
But baby, I promise that we're still the same._

It only took those two lines for Kenshin to ignore his protesting mind and step into the floor. His eyes were a molten gold color once more and as she looked at him with another dazzling smile, their palms touched and they began to circle each other.

"Look at Kenshin..."

_And the leaves are falling quicker,  
Like a rain drop in the spring._

_I think it's your love that I cannot believe._

Kenshin pulled her to him and as their hands enlaced, he put one hand on her waist as her right thigh touched his hip. Her leg slowly slid down to rest on the floor again during the slight pause in singing. As they backed away, Kenshin let their enlaced fingers slowly release and he began to spin her around as the first lines of the chorus began to sing. His body moved her around the floor like she was his doll.

_Give me attention.  
Give me some time.  
You see, your love is just so dangerous.  
It should be a crime._

Kenshin let her hand go and as he ducked low and spun under her backwards arched back, their hands met and released as they kept turning and touching hands. She began to move backwards and as Kenshin took two quick steps, he grabbed her hand again and spun himself right up to her body. She gave a sheepish smile.

"Hi."

_To notice when you're leaving me without any sounds.  
Your love is just so dangerous, sometimes. _

"Hey." he huskily replied before the two slowly began a beautiful waltz around the floor to the instrumental. She smiled gently at him as he moved like a pro and as he spun her around again and the two let go, the singing began again.

_Oh, I know this might sound selfish,  
But I love you by yourself._

_When it comes to your affection,  
You'd rather be with someone else._

The two began to take steps away from each other with the beat to the drum and with each step they snapped their fingers and gave a nice movements of their hips.Her smile was beautiful as she snapped her fingers above her head. She put her hand out as she leaned on one leg and Kenshin spun around and ran to her hand before spinning her around to him when he sang _You'd rather be with someone else_. Her smile never faded as they began to waltz around the room again.

_And my tears are falling quicker,  
Like a snowflake in the winter.  
I just wish I had the better side of your heart. _

Kenshin spun her outward and as their enlaced fingers kept them together, he pulled her to him and their arms were high in the air as their breath mingled and their eyes met with different emotions. Slowly, he put his arm around her and he began to dance in a small circle as she smiled at him gently and she moved her feet.

_Give me attention.  
Give me some time.  
You see, your love is just so dangerous.  
It should be a crime._

He let her go back outwards and after their hands let go, he began to spin her around the large circle again and repeat the same thing as before. Her body leaned back and as he ducked low to spin under her again and catch her hips, she rose up slowly and let Kenshin dip her body. One slender pale leg raised up as he looked down at her he ran his lips slowly down her neck.

"What's your name?"

_To notice when you're leaving me without any sounds.  
Your love is just so dangerous,  
So dangerous._

Kenshin raised her up after the second line and as they moved away from each other, a guitar solo began to play with the jazz feel of the song and he let her have her shine. She danced and moved for the crowd to see. Her hands went above her head as she raised her leg up again and spun around in a circle. At the sharp quick notes, she shook her hips and let her body move with it as her hair moved from left to right. Once Kenshin could hear the solo ending, he moved back into the dancing girl and he took her hand once more as he began to move with her and bring her back towards the center.

_Give me attention.  
Give me some time.  
You see, your love is just so dangerous._

He let her hands go as the chorus was starting up again and at the last line he dragged out the last word as they both did the same steps and shook their hips with the two 'dun-dundun' moments like she did before. They both had smiles of enjoyment as they had held their hands out on the last shake, his partner's arms in the air as one hand slid down her arm in a loving way.

_I said god damn, your love's so dangerous.  
It should be a crime._"

The song began to quiet down once more after he sang _crime_ and Kenshin took her hands and brought her close. With a soft smile on her face, she leaned her head against his shoulder and let her back touch his chest. Sparks ran through both their bodies.

_  
Your love is just so dangerous, sometimes._

They began to sway their hips together as he held her waist and one of her arms went around his neck to the repeat of the beginning. Both their eyes were closed in the pleasure of the dancing and as the drums stopped, Kenshin began to waltz with her for the last time. She smiled at him lovingly and as he dipped her to the last notes, her thigh touched his hip as her leg rose high into the air and she let her arms be limp as he ran his lips down her neck once more.

They burst into applause.

"That was incredible." the singer said as Kenshin slowly raised her up and the two held hands as they bowed. Both had warm smiles on their faces and as she ran her fingers through her hair, her eyes lit up even brighter as they applause grew a little bit louder thanks to the singer. They turned to bow at every direction and once she began to pull away, he held her hand tighter, her body turned back towards his as he hair flew over one shoulder. The slight tint of red in her cheeks made her alluring.

"You never game me a name." she was silent for a few moments before she smiled at him and she spoke.

"It's Kaoru." she said for him to hear. "Kaoru Kamiya."

"I'm... I'm Kenshin." he said as he got his raging emotions together. "Kenshim Himura."

Kaoru flashed him a beautiful smile and as their fingers finally released each other, Kaoru turned on her heels and she began to walk off. He watched her black hair slightly bouncing with the curls at the end and as her hips moved with each step he put his hand over his heart and he sighed dreamily while he walked away.

'_I'm in love._'

* * *

"I am so freaking happy you guys. We got that whole dance on video. You're the man, Kenshin. We're going out for coffee tomorrow for this. _**Laughs**_ Told you he could dance, Lucius. Anyways, we just **have** to play another song from _**Forever The Sickest Kids.**_ It's just that good! I swear! Anyways, i'm gonna turn on _Believe me, i'm lying_ and I want you guys to dance or something. Show yourself too, Kenshin!"

Kenshin laughed gently as he left the bar and he moved towards the open space. The music had already started and to his delight, Kaoru was already out there dancing and jumping to the beat. Kenshin wasted no time dancing with her and as they began to dance around each other and laugh, their chemistry was beautiful. Kaoru began to dance and move and as she ran her flipped her hair and tossed a laugh in his direction, Kenshin flashed a smile to her before facing her again and brought their hips together to swing to the beat.

"Here's what we'll do." she said loud enough for him to hear. Kenshin was listening as the two began to rock out even further and after they stood side by side, Kaoru said 'now' once the (doo doo doo doo doo) part came on. People whistled at the choreography made up on the spot and as they both slid forward and faced each other, Kenshin began to dance in front of her and let her watch him a slightly irritated tone. She gave a yawn as he made a pleading face with his movements. Soon, she began to dance towards him in a taunting tone and he backed off as she began to swing her hips and step with her movements. Kenshin tried to touch her, but she quickly spun out the way and danced to the chorus with him at a distance.

"These two are awesome." people began to say. "Kenshin and the new-girl are beautiful together."

The two soon came together and started to move in a small slow-motion clip. They danced off of each other like they were lovers and once they jumped to their feet, they put rock signs up and began to nod their heads. Their bodies jumped slightly together and as Kenshin watched Kaoru stop and spin around tapping her feet quickly on the floor, he grew deeper in love as he watched her swing her head, move her body lower, and kept her rock signs up as she showed her teeth. He couldn't help but laugh.

'_She's__** awesome!**_'

For the rest of the song, the two had fun with each other and they did stupid dances to laugh at. Kaoru did some old school tricks at the ending and Kenshin had to laugh at her pose and her 'peace' sign at the end of the song. He pulled his camera from his pocket and took a picture of the puckered lip girl. They clapped again as she jumped with a smile and once she moved closer to him, she took his hand and held it up high so that it could capture them both.

"Make a face." she laughed and the two gave the craziest faces they could before the light flashed and Kaoru backed away.

"Awesome." she said once she saw it. "Send this to me on myspace."

"Give me your url." he responded without missing a beat. Kaoru pulled him towards her table and after the two sat down she took his cell phone and she began to store her information.

"Exchanges?" she asked innocently as she handed over her **Sidekick 3 ™ **. Kenshin took it and after he began to do his, she took his camera and she made her hair wilder before taking a picture. Kenshin laughed and after she shut her phone, she pulled him close and held the camera out.

"Smile, Kenny."

"My mother call me that." he chuckled before the two smiled and Kaoru took the picture. A few more went as music played around the room and after they both puffed their cheeks, Kenshin crossed his eyes as the camera flashed. The two laughed as they released the air.

"I haven't had this much fun since I was living with my dad." she giggled.

"You just moved here?"

"Yeah. Heard about this place from my best friend back in my old town."

"I see." Kenshin said and as she checked her time, she gasped and she stood up.

"Damn, i'm running late. My mother's gonna be mad and Seth is going to laugh it up."

As reality kicked in, Kenshin gasped and began to remember things from earlier on in the day. His conversation with Aoshi in the cafe went by twice in fast speeds and once he remembered what he was supposed to, his eyes grew wide.

'_**This is Kaoru!**_'

Kaoru saw the shocked look on his face and after she bent forward she pressed a kiss to his forehead. Her hair fell over her shoulders.

"See you at school, Kenshin. Yes, I know you know who I am and yes, that was me at your dinner outside. Don't forget to send my pictures,k?"

As she turned around, a smile of satisfaction was on her lips as she winked back in his direction and left the building. Outside, she opened up her phone and she sighed.

"Sorry, Aoshi. Meet me at my house, k? And bring your clothes so you don't have to go home in the morning. We'll laugh tonight at movies."

Kenshin checked his time as well and after staring at the path she had taken for another few moments, let out another dreamy sigh. As he rose up and began to leave the club himself. Once he said goodnight to the bartender, he left the building and let the cool air fill his lungs. He made his way to his car and after turning his camera on and looking at their photos, he laughed and got into the car. Once he started his car up and drove off, he headed towards home with a light head. Even as he made his way into the house and into the shower, his mood was still giddy.

"Let me send those pictures before I go to sleep."

Kenshin turned on his computer and as he signed into his **myspace,** he saw Kaoru had already beat him to it and requested to be his friend. She was offline, to his dismay. He added her as a friend and after putting the pictures in his photobucket, he sent them to her in a message and he added them to his own. He placed them under a folder called '**My Best Pictures**' and after signing out, he went and climbed into his bed. He smiled into the air as he stared at the ceiling.

'_I haven't had that much fun since living with my dad._'

"We're going to have more fun together." he sighed. "I'll make sure of it."

'_I really think Tomoe's going to have to move aside for this one._'

* * *

**R.S.: **And it's finally finished! I am so sorry that this took so long. Really I am. But there's just been a **LOT** of shit going on, so it's been hard for me to write. I've been doing piece by piece every day I was able to. (sigh) I just hope I didn't loose people from this.

I don't know when the next chapter will be put up, but hopefully it will be soon! I just have to balance the time... anyways, let me head off to bed for school :( another thing i hate.

Read and review! Luv ya!

-_**rampaging sorrow**_


	6. Prep, you dont have heart like Emo does

**R.S.: **Hey everybody! Hope school's going good for everybody. I'm ready to sleep in again already. And my allergies are KILLING me now! Omg, I look like a sick rat in the mornings. And I **hate** waking up! I'm such an angry person in the mornings it's not even funny.

Anyways, here's chapter four . This is the first day of school for Kaoru and whatnot, and when Kenshin realizes something.

Oh! And now for every opening there will be some kind of poem, quote, or song lyrics. And the ending will end off with one too, ok?

Now, Enjoy! (sneeze) -- ugh.

-_**rampaging sorrow**_

* * *

_  
Oh, how strange!_

_Like a spell does the evening bind me!_

_And a deep languid charm_

_I feel without alarm_

_With its melody enwind me_

_And all my heart subdue._

_-_piece from _**Phantom of the Opera**_

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_

_**By: Rampaging Sorrow**_

_**Chapter Four: Prep Boy, you don't have heart like Emo Girl  
**_

"Aren't you energetic this morning."

"I heard this awesome ass song last night and it's got me pumped, Seth! That shit's my new wake up song!"

"**Kaoru! Language!**"

"_**laughs**_ What's it called? _Crank dat calvary boy_?"

"_**gasp**_ How'd you know?!"

"Aoshi's hooked on it too, you know."

"For all the right fucking reasons! The screamo version is off the fucking shit!"

"**KAORU KAMIYA!**"

Kaoru spun around to face her mother with an arched eyebrow and as her mother began to scold her choice of words, she sucked her teeth and flipped her hand to dismiss her.

"Daddy let's me curse all the time. We even had fights and stuff, mom. This is my normal morning. Thanks for being understanding, _**Seth.**_"

"Girl--"

"Anytime." Seth said in a teasing tone and after they hugged and sighed 'family love', Kaname glared at her and she turned on her heels to storm off. Aoshi, who was leaning against the door listening to the whole ordeal, couldn't help but smirk and shake his head. Both were dressed for school already and just wasting time by talking to Seth and harassing Kaname to no end. Kaoru's eyes were alive with energy and as she began to laugh and make a scene for her mother, Aoshi watched in amusement as Kaoru's ponytail swished with her steps and she put her hands on her hips and snapped her fingers.

'_She's got a lot of morning energy._'

"You guys have forty-five minutes before school. Aoshi, take her now so she can get her classes?"

"Yes, Aunt Kaname."

"Thank you for being so polite." she smiled at him. Kaoru stuck out her tongue and after Aoshi opened the door, she jumped to the side and began to look at herself in the mirror.

"I have to make my last touches." she proudly announced to the three watching her. Seth burst out laughing as Kaname slapped a hand on her forehead. Kaoru smiled at herself in the mirror as she examined her outfit and she pulled out her brush for her hair. On her feet were light blue converses that went up to mid-calf, knee-high striped socks with white, black, green pink and blue stripes, a light pink and white skirt, and a green, white, black and clear blue sleeveless top. Her hand sleeves were blue-gray with white dots. Her wrists were covered with different bracelets of all colors and her earrings were two blue and white striped hearts slightly dangling. Her necklaces consisted of two skulls, one heart and two stars. She flipped her hair forward and after tying her hair in a mid-way ponytail, she brushed the rest of her hair and she let it rest over her shoulder.

"You're satisfied?"

"Very. I look better than **all** those prep girls I saw at that dinner."

"_**laughs**_ You're too much, emo kid."

Aoshi walked over to her mirror as well and after adjusting his dark blue jeans, made sure his bangs were neat and he ran his finger through twice. Kaoru, who studied his whole outfit, made a face and she fixed his cobalt blue shirt with crazy designs on the front.

"I'll be right back." she declared and she ran to the stairs before ascending and vanishing from sight.

"What's wrong with what I have on?" Aoshi asked Seth as he turned to the mirror once more.

Seth flashed him a knowing grin. "Nothing. She's just going to spice you up a bit. You'll see."

Aoshi gave a frown to the stairs—he didn't want to be _**spiced**_ up—but as he saw Kaoru run back down the steps, he could only arch his eyebrow as she jogged over and she put two bracelets on his wrist. Then, she gave him a different belt buckle and she slapped a sticker on his converses. Aoshi looked in the mirror as she began to comb his hair and style it with some gel. Seth and Kaname both watched with intrigue as Kaoru made him shut his eyes and she finished up his hair. She squeezed some lotion into her hand and after she lotioned his arms, she put two skulls on his necklace and she gave him a dark blue arm-sleeve.

"Now look." Aoshi opened his eyes and after they widened, Seth whistled.

"You look hot." he admitted. Kaoru smiled at him and as Aoshi examined himself in the mirror again, he turned to her and his expression grew serious. Kaoru arched her eyebrow as he put his hands in his pocket.

"You're now one of my good friends."

"Sweet." she laughed before the two left the house and Kaoru jogged down to her car. She threw her stuff inside and after waving to Seth, Aoshi got into his car and slipped on some shades. Kaoru quickly hooked up her Ipod and after the two reversed out the driveway, they both honked and drove off down the street. She began to blast the song she told Seth about through the stereo system.

"Drop your car off at the school so we can go for some Dunkin Donuts! My treat!"

"Sounds good!"

'_I wonder if Kenshin's dressed._' Aoshi mused while he made a right and made sure Kaoru was behind him. '_He could use the breakfast._'

* * *

"Ugh... What the hell..." 

"**BAKA DESHI!**"

A high-pitch scream was heard and as Kenshin jumped out of his bed, he saw his step-father standing and smiling at him with an evil glint in his brown eyes. His shocked eyes soon turned into a glare and after Kenshin calmed down his beating heart, he put a fist up and gave the deadliest growl he could muster up.

"What the **hell** is wrong with you, Hiko?! You want to give me a heart-attack or something?! Jesus!"

"Shut up and get dressed." he yawned as if Kenshin didn't matter. His hand flipped his dark brown ponytail over his shoulder.

"Besides, you have forty-five minutes before school starts anyway. Oh! I forgot to tell you._ Ohayo Gozaimasu, Baka._"

"**Forty-Five **_**Minutes?!**_"

Kenshin flew past him and after he ran into the bathroom, he stripped and jumped into the shower. His mother stared up at the ceiling as she heard another scream. Her lips were frozen on her cup of tea and as she smiled and set the cup down.

"Thanks for turning the hot water off, honey."

"Anytime, Chi-Mae." Hiko laughed as he sat down in his seat and began to eat his breakfast. The girls were already at school thanks to the bus, so Kenshin was all they had to worry about. And that was a task in itself anyways.

"**What's up with the goddamn water?!**" they both heard through the floor. "**Hiko, you bastard; you turned the goddamn hot water off AGAIN! What the fuck!**"

"He's so vulgar." she giggled into her hand as Hiko shrugged and swallowed another piece of toast. Ten minutes later, Kenshin was flying into the kitchen with his hair neatly tied and his clothes on and pressed. Hiko studied his blank pants and white shirt with irritation.

"No colors?"

"None, you prick." Kenshin sighed and Chi-Mae swatted him with the newspaper before letting him sit down. The two men of the house glared at each other and while Chi-Mae continued to read the sports section (she hated everything else), they shared words through their eyes. Most of it was playful as Kenshin chuckled and took a long swig of his orange juice.

"Even the fucking trees walked in those movies." Kenshin choked and after it began to helplessly dribble down on his shirt, Chi-Mae gasped in horror and whined out '_**Kenshin!**_' as he burst out laughing and slapped his knee. Hiko smirked in satisfaction and as Kenshin put his hands over his face and continued to laugh, his mother slapped his shoulder in a scolding manner before she went to the stairs and headed towards his room.

"Hiko, you're dead wrong! _**Laughs**_ Oh my god, Clerks II was the funniest movie ever!"

"Now you're wrong. The 40-Year Old Virgin gave it a run for its money. _You not coming to our fuckin' party either, okay? Fuck you._"

Kenshin laughed even harder at Hiko's attempt at the Indian accent before he put his head down on the table and he put his hands in his hair.

"Hiko, you're terrible." Chi-Mae scolded as Hiko was laughing with him.

"What? They were two good hilarious movies that we watched on the couch together. I laughed so hard I thought I was going to throw up._"_

"My stomach! It hurts!"

"Hiko **and **Kenshin--"

"No, the best part was with Jay and Silent Bob." Kenshin laughed. "H-he was like '_I'd be the first motherfucker to see a new galaxy or find a new alien life form... And fuck it._'"

Hiko put his hand out like he was dreaming into space. "_People'll be like '__**There he goes. Homeboy fucked a Martian once.**_"

Chi-Mae sighed and as she hung Kenshin's shirt up by the door, she sat down and went back to her sports section of the newspaper. Kenshin slammed his foot on the floor as he buried his face into the table cloth. Tears of joy streamed from his eyes.

'_My boys are so silly._' she laughed to herself as Kenshin and Hiko both pointed at each other and said a line from one of the movies they had watched.

'_I'm glad Hiko's found another kind of interest with him. Now they won't make fights and argue for no reason.__**Sigh**__I'll have some peace._'

* * *

_**Oakley High School  
8:15  
Second Bell**_

"Damn. I'm almost late."

Kenshin sighed in annoyance and as he got his last chuckle out, he parked his car up next to an empty spot in the lot. He grabbed his book bag from the backseat and after fixing his **new** white shirt (black designs crept up the sides and went around his chest and shoulders), he climbed out the car and dusted off his white Jordans. He locked his car up and after he was about to walk, he stopped as he heard blasting rock music in the distance.

Confusion swept across his features while he made his way towards the door. "Aoshi's car is here already, so who the hell is that blasting the music?"

He watched as a blue-green colored car drove up into the parking lot and as he saw it pass him, he read the side of the car with surprise.

"Kaoru drives _**this?!**_" he thought to himself aloud as he watched it park itself next to his car and turn off. He heard the bell ring again and after he cursed himself, he ran into the building and straight down the hall to the stairs.

"She's pretty and all, but I can't be late anymore. I have a record to uphold for the month."

Kaoru's car was quiet now and as she got out the driver's seat, she grabbed her book bag and she locked her car up before throwing the keys inside the pocket. She opened the doors to get inside and as she began to walk down the hallway, heads began to turn as her light-blue eyes darted around for the office.

"Who's that girl?" "Do you see her outfit? That's so rad." "She can't be a prep dressing like that. I think Aoshi might be recruiting a beautiful girl next to Misao this time."

A soft smirk slipped up on her lips as she listened to some of the words passing by her and once she read **OFFICE**, she let herself inside the dull colored room. Her nose wrinkled up in distaste.

'_Cool your nerves, Kamiya. Daddy said to be understanding of money in different places._'

"Hi." she said with a smile as she showed her nice white teeth to the man sitting behind the desk. His eyes widened in surprise and as he froze, she arched her eyebrow in a cute fashion and tilted her head a little to the side.

'_Another one down for the count. __**Laughs**__ I'm getting free late passes in the morning._'

"Is there something wrong?"

"N-Not at all!" he exclaimed nervously and he blinked his light brown eyes as he tried to laugh it off and he set his papers down. She flashed him another cute smile before she ran her finger in her bangs and rubbed her hands together. The action made the man blush gently at her beauty.

"I'm new and they told me to come to the office for a schedule?"

"Your name is..."

"Do you have a Kaoru Kamiya?" she asked him. His heart began to speed up a little (he was twenty by the way) at the smooth sound of her voice and after telling her to take a seat, he showed her a list.

"You're on the end of the list this morning. A lot of students needed their schedules printed out and sorted, so i'll have to do this one by one, okay? Make yourself comfortable."

"Sure, Mr..."

"Hinderson. But, please call me Thomas. I'm not that old yet, ya know? This is just a minor job while i'm in college."

"Cool. Thomas."

Kaoru sat down and after she pulled her Ipod from her bag, she took the plug from behind his computer and plugged it into her own.

"What are you doing?"

"Spicing up this room." she added and after she pressed play, everybody in the office began to turn and look at his desk. His ears heated up in embarrassment and after Kaoru retrieved a pair of drumsticks from her bag, she began to tap the rhythm on the table.

"Don't stop printing because of me. You said make myself comfortable. Is this okay with you?"

"Oh s-sure! It's fine!" he put his hands up with a smile and after she dazzled him with a smile of her own, she could tell that he was crushing on her looks. Kaoru smirked to herself a minute later as she could feel him stealing glances at her.

'_**definitely**__ free late-passes in the morning_'

* * *

"Kenshin Himura?" 

"Present."

"You were two seconds away from being late today, Kenshin. Any particular reason?"

"Not really. Just had a long laugh with my father."

The English Honors class gave quiet laughter to his honest response and after the teacher sighed and shook her head with a grin, he flashed a care-free smile of his own and glanced over towards Aoshi who was a row below him. With a new hairstyle and the same cold look, Aoshi had attracted half the female-student body on his way to their second block class. His girlfriend was there to back him up—the short girl had some serious **lungs** when it came to the matter—but after he dropped her off to class he was harassed all the way to the door.

"Who did your hair, Shinomori?" Kamatari asked as he swirled a lock of hair onto his finger. His bright colors were stunning to his even brighter personality in the room. An interested smile was on his face and as he watched Aoshi raise his head from his arms and glance over in his direction, he froze his stare and then rolled his eyes and put his head back down.

"Aoshi, don't be that way." Kamatari cooed. "I mean, it's okay if you went to a hair-stylist. Not many people can get the beautiful crimp touch in their hair I have, ya know?"

"Leave me alone, Kamatari. I'd hate to see Hannya destroy your locker again."

His smile fell and after he scowled at the cold teen, Kenshin smirked and he began to copy the notes from the board. Aoshi had fallen asleep (along with his nemesis Sanosuke) and as Tomoe leaned over to Kenshin and started to grab notes from him, the two laughed softly at the mumbles from Kamatari's lips. A knock on the door interrupted everybody's train of thoughts.

"Ah. I see she's arrived."

"_She, _Mrs. Yamito?" Kamatari asked in confusion. The other students in the class began to talk to each other quietly and as Tomoe sat up straight and looked towards the door, the teacher replied to the knocking by telling them to open it.

"Class, we have a new student today." she proudly announced. Her dark green eyes seemed happy about the addition to her honors class. "She's very intelligent from what her transcripts show. Don't be shy now, young lady. Come on in. These are the good ones."

"Aoshi's not." Sanosuke smartly replied. "I still don't understand how the hell he made it in this class."

"Maybe because my scores are higher than yours by 500. But then again, retards don't understand numbers either."

Sanosuke glared at Aoshi and just as he was going to speak, his words were caught in his throat. Megumi looked at his shocked face and as she looked up, her eyes widened as well. Kenshin's pencil fell from his hand and as his cheeks grew a soft blush, Tomoe glared at the girl in front in jealousy. '_Who the hell is she._'

"She's the girl from last night."

Aoshi was already buried into his arms again and as the door shut, the class studied her outfit with curiosity. Kenshin couldn't think straight and as he massaged his palm with his thumb to cool his thoughts, the teacher told her to introduce herself. Her accessories gave a soft jingle as she moved her hand and once she pulled her hair free from its ponytail, his heart increased in pace at the way it framed her face.

'_God, why is she so beautiful?_'

"My name is Kaoru Kamiya." Kaoru said in a smooth voice as she put a hand to her chest. "I just moved in with my mother and my step-father from living Windserdruff with my dad. I'm still new to this... whatever you guys want to call this town."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Megumi asked with her voice laced with anger.

"This place lacks spice and originality. The people walking down the street are... dull. But, it can be whatever you want it to be, too." she replied back with a smile. It boiled Megumi's blood. The teacher saw that it wasn't working out and as she interrupted Megumi's next comment, she clapped her hands together and smiled.

"Have you been around school yet?"

"Nope. Haven't had the time since i've been re-designing my section of the house."

"_Section?_" Kamatari and Tomoe asked with arched eyebrows. Tomoe's eyes were more of a glare.

"Yes. **Section.** It's part of this big deal. Too long to explain. Anyways, I have no idea where i'm supposed to be going."

"Who wants to show Kaoru around?"

Almost all the guy's hands went up and as Kaoru examined them all with distaste, she looked over at Aoshi still snoozing on the desk. Kenshin, who was being polite, had his hand half-way raised. Kaoru flashed him a playful smirk before pointing to Aoshi's head.

"I'll take the guy with his head down."

"What?" Everybody burst out the same question and as Kaoru leaned her head back in surprise, she said 'whoa' with a soft laugh before the teacher gave a nervous one in return.

"Are you sure you don't want to take somebody like Kenshin? He's my star student and he'll show you a **very** well tour of the school. I'd lean towards him."

Kaoru met Kenshin's eyes and as Kenshin gave a small wave to her with a smile, she tilted her head as if she was in thought. Kenshin could feel his mind screaming to get up and pull her from the room, to kiss her until she was breathless and clinging to him for support. He could feel his fingers tingling with anticipation. But, because Kenshin was a respectable man, he didn't give in and he just sat there staring into the endless pools of blue. Tomoe wasn't pleased. It was then that Kaoru finally spoke.

"Nah. He's fine." Kaoru set her things down and after she made her way back towards the door, she turned around and she put her hands over her mouth. Her voice was sweet and cuddly to match the playfulness in her eyes.

"**Tomodachi Aoshi.**" (A/N: tomodachi means 'friend' in japanese)

"Nan desu ka **Kuro Neko Kaoru**." Aoshi answered without hesitation. His deep voice rumbled in the air.

"Take me around school." She leaned against the door frame and as she pulled her hair over her shoulder, Aoshi raised his head up and gave her a small glare.

"Iie."

"Aoshi! Naze (Why)?!" Aoshi didn't answer and as he put his head back down, she pouted.

"Aoshi... kore wa hijo ni taisetsu desu(this is very important)..." Aoshi heard the sadness laced through her voice and after he took a long breath, he rose from his seat and he stretched his arms. She instantly grew a smile and as she put her hands together and showed him how happy she was, Kenshin gazed at her face with longing.

'_Let her look at me this way._' Aoshi stood by the desk and after Kaoru walked over and linked her arms into his, she leaned her head against his shoulder as they were heading towards the door.

"Arigatou Gozaimasu, Tomodachi Aoshi."

"Aa." was all he said before she laughed and he shut the door.

"They're cousins." Kenshin stated before any words could fly. "And she does speak japanese like he does. And yes, she's on their team."

"That's the most colorful on i've seen yet. You'd think she was one of us."

"Never that." Megumi and Tomoe hotly stated. "She can't."

"Why not? She's gorgeous." Kamatari said. "I'd love to dress her up."

As they began to converse and wait for them to return by doing worksheets, Kenshin was lost in his own thoughts and he drummed his fingers gently against his desk, Tomoe asked him if he was alright.

"Yeah... I'm fine..."

"You don't seem like it. You sure, Kenshin?" her eyes were concerned.

"I'm alright." he gave her a smile and after she began to laugh at Megumi's comments, he went back to daydreaming about Kaoru.

'_Aoshi has to help me make her mine._'

* * *

"So you saw him last night at a club?" 

"Uh huh."

"What do you think of him?"

"He's sexy; i'll give him that. But... what is he? I don't know if he's a prep or if he's a fucking wannabe goth."

Aoshi let out a soft chuckle and as Kaoru ran her fingers through her hair again, Aoshi pointed to a few doors and said their numbers. She nodded gently to show she understood before Aoshi continued walking and nodding his head to a few people that were in different classrooms. Kaoru flashed smiles as well to be polite and as Aoshi shook his head at a few whistles, he went back to his original subject.

"He's a prep. But, he's been fascinated with black and white for almost all his life. In the past, we thought he was color blind. But, that's just the way he wants to live his life. Without colors."

"So how the hell is he a prep." Kaoru asked with irritation. "It's not making sense to me."

"Just like how you're a colorful emo. It's not supposed to."

Kaoru gave an impressed look and then said, 'nice point', before Aoshi showed her a few more doors and walked up to one. Kaoru saw his eyes soften immediately and as she looked in, she saw a girl looking over at him with love in her very own.

"Who's that?" she asked as she looked up at Aoshi.

"That's my wife Misao." he said with love laced through his cold voice.

"... She's pretty."

Aoshi nodded and as the two hid from the teacher's eyes, Kaoru ducked in front of the door. Her ribbons touched the floor gently and after she raised up to look, she saw Misao giggling softly and waving at her. Kaoru raised her pale hand to wiggle her fingers. Misao's long black hair framed her heart-shaped face and Kaoru noted that she had a childish-aura about her. Kaoru studied her dark red, grey, and black colored outfit with curiosity and after she nodded, she looked back up at Aoshi.

"I approve." Aoshi couldn't help but laugh and after Kaoru rose up, she mouthed, '**You're pretty**' before Misao mouthed '**thanks**' and Aoshi pointed to his phone. She nodded and after the two left the door area, Aoshi went to the stairwell and took a seat.

"You know she loves my hair?"

Kaoru gave a soft cheer."That's good! () Glad I did something nice for you."

She sat down after dusting her space off and once she put her chin into her palms, the silence was relaxing. They both stared out the window at the clouds with different thoughts and as Kaoru looked over at him, she gave a soft smile. His eyebrow arched as he caught her expression.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

"No, no. That's not it." she softly replied with a shake of her head. "You're... I thought it'd be hard to find a friend here."

"How so?"

"Because, my father told me that he hated this place. Barely any originality. And the ones who did have it were close knit. He said that it'd be hard to find friends that I could relate to and that I could actually like being around. I took those words seriously because he's lived here before. He should know. But... I think he was wrong about it being hard to find a friend."

She gave him another sincere smile. "We just met yesterday and here we are basically skipping class together already. _**laughs **_You're just what I needed to feel like I can call this place a home for the next two years. I'm glad it's you that's helping me settle down."

Aoshi was silent for a few moments and after she saw his lips form into a small smile, he reached over and tussled her hair a little bit. Her tongue stuck out playfully as response.

"You're an awesome girl. I'm lucky that I know you now. You're... opening my eyes to new things with people."

"How so?" Kaoru said in a deep voice to imitate his. She laughed after she saw his look of disbelief before he rolled his eyes with a smirk and spoke.

"Because i've **never** met a girl with as much creativity as you. From any gender, for that matter. You take things into perspective on the spot and you immediately create and design what you feel would look right on that person. I've seen your eyes studying a few people in these classrooms and when you were looking at Misao, I knew you were studying clothes and features of that person."

"... You can read people really well."

"I try." was all he responded before she giggled at his sigh and the two looked out the window again. Aoshi glanced over at her thoughtful expression and as Kaoru blinked her light blue eyes, he saw the clouds moving as a reflection. He was silent for a few more moments and after he found out the words he wanted to say, he looked back out the window.

"You'd be perfect for Kenshin."

"Why do you say that, Tomodachi Aoshi."

"Because your personalities can balance out."

"...Hmmm."

Aoshi narrowed his eyes. "What do you think of him."

Kaoru shrugged her shoulders and after her finger began to draw little patterns on the steps below, Aoshi waited for a response. It would take another two minutes of her drawing japanese letters before she opened her mouth to speak. He listened with an open mind.

"I can see myself... I would go with him if we were under different circumstances. Last night, he was... he was beautiful at the club. I mean, when we danced to the music, he knew everything to do. I didn't have to change what I was going to do for him. He sensed it and went along with the flow. But, even though he's beautiful and he can dance and he has a nice personality... it wouldn't work."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I know. It's... complicated. I've seen how that ends out. Serious preps who live by prep code can't date us. It turns out into this big fight between us because we're 'taking the top n feeding them our horrible way of life.'"

"It's happened before?"

"Yes." she replied with a nod. "Happened all the time in Windserdruff. They fought like cats and dogs. I was always cool with mostly everybody, so I was never involved. But, people with high status in their groups kept their love a secret. Like, they really couldn't tell anybody because of what would happen... it destroyed hearts and relationships."

"It was that serious in Windserdruff."

"At Windserdruff North. At the Windserdruff South High, it was awesome." Her eyes flashed with excitement. Aoshi arched his eyebrow and motioned his hand for her to explain.

"All the groups mingled. Like, during lunch they would all sit in their groups and they would be in their groups. Same for sports and for gym. But, in between those times? In class, outside of school at parties and the mall and everything else? It was... awesome. That's the only word for it."

Kaoru leaned back as she reminisced and she gave another smile to the windows.

"We did everything with everybody. Like, at a party preps fucked goths and goths fucked skaters and nerds even got some from cheerleaders!"

"... you guys were like that?"

"Not me." she laughed and put her hands up to defend herself. "I'm not that type of person. Just a make-out here and there with my best friend, but nothing--"

"Your best friend." he dryly noted as he narrowed his eyes. "How does that go?"

"Who knows?" she said with a light voice. "We just did. Anyways, I'm straying away from my point. Kenshin is... I can tell he's a wonderful guy and he'd be a wonderful boyfriend too. Amazing, even."

"So what's the issue?"

"One, I just met the guy. Two... I have to get to know him more, Tomodachi."

Aoshi simply gave a 'hmm' sound and silence came around once more. Aoshi got bored with the silence and as Kaoru began to examine her ends, he sat up and he faced her. She arched her eyebrows as he took her hands and made her face him.

"Listen," he began. "This is the most i've ever spoken to a girl besides Misao. I want you to listen to me very closely, okay?"

"... Okay." Kaoru laughed nervously as she pulled her hair from her face and gave her hand back. "What?"

"Kenshin **needs** you."

Her eyes narrowed in disbelief. "... He **needs** me."

"Yes. Did you see the girl sitting next to him?" Kaoru scrunched her nose up cutely as she thought and after they widened with her mouth slightly agape, she 'hmph'ed and she crossed her arms.

"Yeah I did. She was all over Kenshin--"

"--See? You noticed. Her name is Tomoe Yukishiro."

"Tomoe _who_" Kaoru asked in shock. "Tomoe Yukishiro."

"Has a little brother named Enishi?"

"... How'd you know that?"

"He's my best friend!" she exclaimed happily. "I love that guy. Anyways, ugh."

Aoshi smiled softly as her emotions bounced like a regular girl and after he sighed, he took her hands again and held them shaking with each word that was spoken.

"She is a **bitch.** Kenshin hates to hear it, but she's a back-stabbing, lying, deceiving, _**whore**_. If you knew the history behind my words, you'd be disgusted with Kenshin for even loving her before. He doesn't think that anybody can compare to her. **You**, Kaoru, are _**better**_ than her. If you just give him a chance, she won't have to break his heart again."

"... That's really your best friend."

"Yes. And if you play your cards right," he said while gently plucking her nose. "You can be up there too. You're... working your way up."

"Sweet!"

Kaoru smiled at him and after another five minutes the two got up and they began to walk through the rest of the building. Once they were back upstairs, Aoshi opened the door for her and the two walked back into the classroom. Kaoru felt somebody glaring at her and as she glanced over in Kenshin's direction, she saw the culprit was none other than Tomoe herself. Her eyes were narrowed hatefully and as she eyed her up and down in distaste, Kaoru coldly glanced at her and scrunched her face up in disgust.

"Trash." she mouthed gently before Aoshi smirked and the two went towards his seat. Kaoru sat down next to him and after she was handed papers to fill out, she threw her hair over her shoulder and she started to write down her information. Kenshin's eyes rested on her body and as he saw her expression focused, he blushed lightly when she chewed on her pen cap and raised her eyes to catch him in a crime.

"Hey." she mouthed with a smile. Kenshin said the same back and after she tried to write again, she pouted and looked towards the trash can. She threw her pen inside without hesitation and after they heard it hit the bottom, she turned around in her seat and rose on her knees to reach Kenshin's desk.

"Do you have a pen?"

"Um... let me check." As Kenshin grabbed his book bag and he pulled it up, Tomoe shot her a glare once his eyes went down into his bag.

"Off limits." she mouthed angrily towards Kaoru. Kaoru arched her eyebrow and as Tomoe growled silently Kenshin raised his head with a smile.

"Found one. This is my lucky pen, okay? Don't forget."

"Right-o." she responded with a soft grin. Kenshin was mostly confused when her smile faded instantly and she rolled her eyes while turning around to sit down. Aoshi leaned his ear towards her as he helped her fill out some of her papers.

"She's jealous of me already. I _hate_ those types of girls."

"I told you she's a bitch." he responded. Kaoru cracked a grin and after the two finished, the bell rang and the room began to pack up. Kaoru linked her arm in Aoshi's and after they went to the door, Kenshin told her to wait. She hesitated before stopping and after turning around, he held his hand out with a carefree grin.

"My lucky pen, miss Kaoru."

"Your lucky wha—OH! _**Laughs**_ I'm so sorry!" she opened her book bag and after she began to look for the pen, Aoshi smirked and told her that he'd meet her at class later.

"Sure thing." she instantly responded and after grabbing her schedule and the pen, Kenshin watched in awe as she flipped her hair back from her face and gave him an apologetic smile.

'_Even __**those**__ are beautiful... This girl is awesome._'

"I'm so sorry--"

"--Kenshin!"

Kaoru instantly cringed and after she saw Tomoe jog up and glare at her, she cut in between them and turned to Kenshin. Kenshin felt himself grow a little pissed at the action.

"Tomoe, that was rude."

"Sorry, but I just had to ask you a question."

"What's the question?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. Kaoru moved towards the side and after she put her bag down and knelt with it, she began to look through her things and organize her stuff. To her, Tomoe was mostly rambling about their English assignment as a disguise and after she kissed his cheek and shot Kaoru another glare, she strolled off towards Megumi.

"See you in class, kay?!" she yelled as she turned around with a smile. He nodded half-heartedly and after she was satisfied, the two girls made their way down the hallway.

"Bitch." Kaoru mumbled as she zipped her bag up and put it back on her back. Kenshin turned to her and as she held her schedule out, she looked down at it with minor confusion. Kenshin looked over her shoulder and after he gave a soft 'hmmm', she turned her head towards him with an arched eyebrow of her own.

"What?"

"We have all the same classes."

"You don't say."

"I do say." he grinned.

"That's convenient" she mused aloud before turning to face him and giving him an excited look. "Can you show me where my locker is?"

"Sure."

Kaoru thanked him with a smile and as Kenshin began to walk, she looked at the end of the hallway and gave one of the sexiest smirks anybody in the hallway had ever seen. The male population literally slowed down as she did it and once she caught up with Kenshin, they began to whisper and talk excitedly about who she was. At the end of the hallway, Tomoe was furious as she watched Kaoru walking next to him and giving him small chat.

'_She's screwing everything up! Ugh!_'

'_That's right, bitch._' Kaoru thought as she nodded to Kenshin and flashed him another smile. The soft blush on his face at her perverted joke was cute enough to take a picture of. Kaoru laughed again as she put her hand over her mouth and pointed at Kenshin. He frowned playfully before tussling her hair and opening up her locker.

'_I'm coming to take over. And trust me. I'm __**not**__ backing down for anything._'

* * *

The next three classes were basically boring for Kaoru. Not only was Tomoe in all of her classes, but she managed to get Kenshin to work and sit with her just to make Kaoru mad. What got Tomoe even more upset was that Kaoru didn't really care. She sat by herself, answered comments from people about her clothing, and even made a few friends. Her smile was nice and cheerful towards a few people and once she got ignorant statements tossed her way in the halls, she responded back with fire and made sure that it was known she wouldn't back down from anything 

Kenshin loved her spunk.

Aoshi introduced her to Misao at the third class and once they met and he left her to stay with him, the two hit it off perfectly in their Creative Writing class. They talked the whole time and Kaoru forgot that Kenshin was even in the room as she smiled and laughed with the short hyper-active girl sitting next to her. Kenshin had frowned at her when she didn't look his way. For some reason (and he did know), his heart hurt when she didn't try to glance at him. At the end of the class, Kaoru did indeed look over at Kenshin. And when she saw Tomoe glaring at her, she walked over with Misao and she told him to hold still.

"You have some fuzz in your hair." Kaoru picked it out gently and after she said she'd see him later, the two dark-haired girls began to leave the class chatting happily about shoes. Kaoru didn't bother to look back because she knew he was watching her exit. She walked down to the end of the hallway with Misao and after parting with her, she began to head towards the outside.

"I hate school lunch, so why go to the cafeteria?" she thought aloud to herself. "I'll just lay back in the grass and chill."

Kaoru opened the doors and after she walked onto the grass, she kept her eyes low to make sure she didn't step in anything that would ruin her day. Her feet eventually led her towards the bottom of a grass covered hill and as she raised her head up, she saw a tree at the top with a swing hanging from it. There was grass covering every part and as white and pink flowers popped up from the ground, she made up her mind and decided to walk up the hill.

'_I wonder who put this here._'

She put her book bag down at the trunk of the tree and she silently dusted off the wooden swing before she sat down and she held the held the ropes gently in her soft hands. Her toes barely touched the ground and as she leaned forward, her hair fell over her shoulder and she smiled softly at the breeze passing through.

'_What __**do**__ I think of Kenshin?_' she thought silently to herself as she leaned her toes further towards the floor and pushed off to make the swing move.

'_I mean, he's an awesome guy from what i've seen, but... why does he feel off?_'

From there, her legs brought her higher and as she let out a 'weeee!' of enjoyment, she never noticed the red-head walking up the hill with confusion in his eyes.

"Who the hell is at my space?" he wondered. "Nobody ever comes here but me and the preps."

His feet crunched the grass and after he reached the top, he froze as he saw Kaoru laughing to herself and swinging higher than before. She loved the feel of cutting through the wind and the way it sounded to her ears. Kenshin could only stand there watching; his body couldn't seem to move. His amethyst eyes watched her carefree attitude attitude and his mind began to work into gears as he found inspiration in her as he leaned against the back of the tree to put it all together.

_Her body moves higher and passion runs further through my veins for her  
Building like the motion of the swing, it reaches heights i've never thought my heart could reach  
Will this passion end when the swing comes to a stop?_

"Boo."

"Ah!" he said with a jump in surprise. His hands flew up to his face and chest in defense, but once he heard the sound of laughter, he slowly let his arms down and stared at Kaoru with a blush on his face. Her hands were on her knees and as her eyes scanned him again, a warm smile came up on her face as she spoke.

"I take it you were sleeping with your eyes open, right?"

"... You're not nice."

Kaoru flashed him another teasing grin and after she stood up straight, she turned around and she yawned. Kenshin watched her stretch her arms and after she spun around twice, she sat down on the swing once more. Kenshin leaned against the tree next to her and after she gave herself a small push, she starts up a light conversation.

"Are you a prep?"

"Yeah." he answered without hesitation. "Been a prep since seventh grade."

"And they just **let** you wear black and white like it's nothing." she responded with narrowed eyes of suspicion.

"Precisely."

"Why."

"... Because I like these colors?" he responded in a 'duh' type of laugh. Kaoru didn't get the joke.

"No, seriously. **Why.**"

Kenshin stared at her as if she was crazy for a few moments before he put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the tree to think. Kaoru's eyes locked on his clothing in a thought and after she removed a blue ribbon from her waist, she grabbed Kenshin's wrist and she put the fabric against his skin.

"What—are—you—doing?"

"You still haven't answered my question." she sang softly for him to hear.

"I have to get back to you on it when I really think about it, okay? I won't forget the question, though."

Kaoru nodded her head to herself and after she held the ribbon out until it was even in her two fingers, Kenshin slowly began to bring his wrist away. A hard smack was his punishment.

"Ouch!"

"Don't move when i'm working." she scolded. Her eyes showed playfulness, but Kenshin could tell that she would smack his wrist again if he moved. He held still and after Kaoru opened her book bag, she grabbed a red and blue marker.

"Sharpie? You're a sharpie fan?"

"It's permanent, sir. Crayola sucks ass."

Kenshin began to laugh and as she began to design it quickly, he ran his fingers through his hair to hold it from the wind as he stared at the distance. Kaoru glanced up at him with a thoughtful expression to his stance and she then slipped a soft smile before dropping her head back down and finishing up his ribbon.

"Done!" she declared after a few more moments. Kenshin turned his eyes towards her and after removing his hands from his hair, Kaoru stood up and motioned for his wrist to come out. He handed it over and after she made it even once more, she placed the ribbon around his wrist and he watched quietly as she tied the ribbon around his wrist. There were different skulls and shooting stars with hearts and japanese letters all around.

"It's pretty." she commented after holding it up to her face. Kenshin gave a nervous grin and after he glanced down at the blue, he gulped.

"What; it's killing you that much?"

"No, it's not that. It's--"

"What the **fuck** are you doing?"

Kaoru and Kenshin both turned to see Tomoe and Megumi standing angrily at the edge of the hill and glaring at Kaoru for all she was worth. Kaoru's eyebrow was arched and as she shrugged her shoulders, she sat back down on the swing and she began to put her pens back in her case in the bag. They marched up together and after Kenshin saw Sanosuke walking up with the male set of twins, he groaned inwardly and pinched his nose.

"Oh man..."

"What's the problem up here?" Sanosuke asked as he looked at Kaoru warily. Kaoru arched her eyebrow at him and as she opened up her cell phone, she began to quickly move her fingers before she shut it and she slipped her phone into her bag.

"There's no issues... Sanosuke, right?"

"Yeah. Who told you my name?"

"Heard it last block. Anyways, there's no issues. Should there be or something?"

"There **is** an issue." Megumi hissed. "You're at **Prep Hill**."

"... _**laughs**_You serious?"

"Very."

Kaoru continued to giggle at the whole ordeal and after she moved the swing a few times, she looked up with a devilish grin. Kenshin's mind began to spin again as she shook her hair from her eyes and gave another swing just to provoke the two angry girls.

_She's a devil in disguise; this vixen's got everybody wrapped around her beauty  
I'm caught up in a web of lust and desire for the curvy body she gives off  
Men fall into place at her beck and command  
Am I falling into a trap? Are my urges finally going get me killed?  
Temptation never felt so good before._

"Kenshin, snap out of it!"

Blinking rapidly, Kenshin was snapped out of his daydream and he looked around to see the rest of the preps on the hill looking at Kaoru with distaste. Most of the women were glaring at her, but the guys had something unreadable. Soujiro and Soshi both were slightly gaping at her body and as Sanosuke rubbed his neck from the heat radiating on his skin, Kaoru arched her eyebrow and rose from her seat. Her lips formed into a small smile.

"I don't see a name up here saying Prep Hill."

"It's been known." Megumi snapped. "You need to ask around before sitting wherever you please, new-girl."

"It's a free country, lady." Kaoru yawned gently as she sat back down and kicked her legs up to move a little bi. "Freedom of speech to some extent and freedom of expression. And personally, i'm expressing myself by sitting here and enjoying the breeze and light I was getting. By the way, you guys are kind of blocking the sun"

"You smart-mouthed--" Sanosuke put a hand on Megumi's shoulder to calm her down and then Tomoe turned her head towards Kenshin showing her disapproval of the matter.

"Why the hell haven't you told her to go yet?"

"We were conversing about where classes are and what not. Sorry if he's just being a good person to the new-kid."

Kenshin was shocked and as Kaoru gave him a pretty smile, he nodded and he put his hands in his pockets as he gave them an apologetic smile. '_She picked up for me... why would she do that?_' Tomoe growled at her gently and after Kenshin removed his hands from his pockets, he walked in between them and spoke.

"I'm going to show her where the cafeteria is before this gets out of hand. She didn't know, you guys. Let's just chill about this. We've told her, she knows, end of story. She's new, so let's not tarnish our name because of fighting for no reason, kay?"

Tomoe didn't stop glaring at Kaoru, but as they all nodded and agreed, Kaoru put on her book bag and she looked over at Sanosuke with thought. After that, she pulled out a long red ribbon and she walked over to him before opening his hand and placing it folded up in his hand.

"Wear that around your head more often. It'll make you stand out more and you'll look more awesome in sports. Red is a nice color for you so go in that direction."

"... Thanks. How'd you know I liked red?"

"You'd like a color that you look good in." she replied politely before giving him a smile and watching him put it in his pocket. Megumi wasn't pleased as she took his hand and pulled him back towards her. Tomoe was first to speak as Megumi was ready to lash out. Kaoru's eyebrow only arched as she crossed her arms and held her ground.

"So now what do you want? You want a clap for giving fashion advice?"

"What I see, I act on. Can't help what my heart drives me to do. But, then again, heartless souls don't understand passion anyways."

"What did you say?"

"I don't stammer, nor will I start." she coolly replied.

"Get the hell off our hill, emo girl." Soshi finally cut in. "Please? There's too much drama during lunch and we only have an hour left."

"Show me a paper or something saying I have to move."

An argument soon broke out about the history of the hill and as Kaoru declared that she didn't care, Kenshin sat down on the swing and he watched her take on his friends with authority in her voice and power. Her slightly irritated expression was cute and as she arched her eyebrow and shrugged her shoulders, he shut his eyes with a sigh and he rubbed his temples slowly.

"I didn't see him having an issue with it." Kaoru stated with an annoyed tone. "Let him tell me he has an issue with it." she turned to Kenshin as she put her hands on her hips. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

'_She put me in the middle! That minx!_'

"Well, Mr. Himura?"

"Let her know, Kenshin." Tomoe spat. "Tell that bitch to get off our hill."

"Chill, whore." Kaoru snapped as she put her hand up to silence her. "Anyways, _Kenshin._ Talk."

Kenshin mentally cursed and as he just sighed again and Megumi demanded an answer, another argument rose about the way they were pushing him to answer. Kaoru had his side one-hundred percent in the matter... to bad Kenshin didn't think it through long enough to have.

'_I've known these guys for about my whole life and I just met Kaoru yesterday night... she's so strong and this hill really should be everybody's... but it has been __**Prep Hill**__ for decades. Tradition can't really just be crushed like that... gods, what to do, what to do?_'

"I don't think she was wrong."

They all turned to him and as Kaoru's eyes lit up in appreciation, he ruined it completely by his next statement.

"But, this has been **Prep Hill** for decades. It's... a tradition of sorts for preps to sit up here and what not. Kaoru, you'll start a whole war if you keep sitting up here. It's better if you just got off the hill and didn't come back to swing. Ever."

"Where's Kaoru."

Sanosuke turned around only to be shoved out of the way by Aoshi as he made his way over to the black-haired beauty and made sure that she hadn't been fighting or was pushed around. Kaoru hit his hands gently with a 'hmph' before she looked at Kenshin and then saw the apology in his eyes. It didn't move her one bit.

"Aoshi, this is the guy you want me to fight for?"

"Aa." he responded. "Doushite?" Kenshin frowned at the disappointed shine in her eyes.

"Kare karejishin ni hontou dearudekinai tokina ze kare niatehama , tatakai gaarinasaika?**(why be true and fight for him when he can't even be true to himself?**)"

Both Aoshi and Kenshin understood her words and as Aoshi looked at him with a curious glance, Kaoru blew her bangs from her eyes and she gave a mischievous grin.

"Aoshi, if they have the tree, what do you say we make the parking lot our spot?" Aoshi's lips formed a smirk.

"What? You can't do that." Sanosuke quickly stated.

"It's a free country." she said again with her smile never fading as Aoshi began to move down the hill. She looked back at Kenshin before frowning softly at him and saying one word.

"I**jirashii."**

Kenshin's eyes widened as she turned on her heels and made her way down the hill herself. '_She called me pitiful..._

"Can't stand that girl." Tomoe growled. "She had the nerve to call me a whore!"

"She called you what you really are!" Aoshi yelled back as he heard her from a distance. His middle finger rose high and as Kenshin looked at Misao give her a hug and raise her own finger to Megumi's, Kaoru smiled at her and laughed softly and the trio began to head back towards the cafeteria. His amethyst orbs were clouded with his thoughts as he watched her turn around to meet his eyes again and shake her head before slipping through the door. Sanosuke watched out the corner of his eye as Kenshin stared down at the ribbon tied on his wrist sadly.

_I feel like i've made the wrong choice._

* * *

For the next three classes, Kaoru didn't even bother looking in Kenshin's direction. Aoshi frowned at the step backwards in their friendship process, but Misao thought it served Kenshin right. 

_Has the nerve to support them when you put your ass out there defending him. Ungrateful red-headed monkey._

He felt bad for what he did, but in all honesty it would have been bad anyway he thought about it. Kenshin didn't want to loose his position or everything he worked on to a new-girl who had stolen his heart away. It just wasn't worth the risk yet, in his thoughts.

Every time Kaoru saw him eye her in the hallway, she just gave him a cold look and continued on her way. He couldn't help but frown and Tomoe noticed it instantly as he sighed and passed her like she wasn't there. She glared at Kaoru's back before Kaoru turned halfway and shot her a glare of her own.

"Bitch." she mouthed harshly before spinning back around and linking her arm in Misao's. Tomoe 'hmph'ed and after she walked with Megumi, Kenshin finally noticed the tension between them.

_They __hate__ each other already? Jesus..._

Kaoru quietly removed her shirt and after she removed her skirt, she heard some gasps as she shook her hair from her eye and pulled it over her shoulder. Misao arched her eyebrow at some of the girls, but then she looked over at Kaoru's back and she gaped herself.

"What?"

"Kaoru... you have wings on your back."

"Oh... those." she smiled as she spun around to glance at it in the mirror near the doorway. She didn't realize that when the door swung open guys saw whatever they could. Misao motioned her to come back, but she just shrugged her shoulders and she touched it softly. Eyes popped out of their skulls as she threw her arms in the air and gave a cute cheer.

"Kaoru... do you know that there are men out there? I think two just fainted."

She glanced over to Misao and after she said 'oh.' she happily moved back to Misao's locker and saw girls watching it curiously. She shut her eyes with a sexy chuckle.

"Does anybody want to know the story behind these?"

"Yes." they said in unison and each gave a soft blush of embarrassment as Kaoru pulled on a pair of shorts and motioned them over. They walked over slowly with excitement and after they circled around her, she put her hands together and crossed one leg over the other.

"It all started about six months ago. Back in Windserdruff, it was "WASM" time of year again."

"What's WASM?"

"Wild Ass Stunt Month. It's in April. Anyways, what happened was my best friend Enishi heard that my rival was going to do something over the top. She was going to pierce her nipple."

"_gasp_ You guys do stunts like that?!"

Kaoru put her hands out with an apologetic smile. "Can't be helped. During WASM, everybody who's anybody goes nuts to prove themselves. Anyways, he told me this and I decided that I wanted to beat her."

**_5 minutes later..._**

"What the hell's going on inside the locker room? The girls are screaming like there's a guy inside."

"Let's go see."

The prep girls (all who were at the dinner) walked through both doors inside the locker room. Laughter and squeals went about and as they finally went through the gap to the lockers, they gaped as they saw almost all the girls surrounding Kaoru as she spoke in a cheerful tone and continued on with her story.

"She pierced _**that**?!_ Oh my god; doesn't that hurt?!"

"I think it should!" Kaoru laughed to one of the red-heads gaping at her with a soft blush. "I would never want to do that. There's Wild Stunts, but that's just ridiculous."

They laughed again at the sour look on her face and as she glanced at the prep girls looking at her with different emotions, she flashed a smile and went back to telling her story.

"So anyways, I decided to tattoo white wings on my shoulders and part of my arms. It sounded awesome and as long as my best friend was in, I threw caution to the wind."

"Didn't it hurt?"

"Got numb after a while." she admitted as she scratched her head. "Like they say on television. Shit gets addicting. Look at this one."

She raised up her foot and they gasped and said 'wow!' at the dragon on the top of her foot. It was dark blue and it's tail moved up and wrapped around half her ankle. The prep girls went to their lockers in disgust at the attention the new girl was getting.

"They don't like me very much." Kaoru admitted in a low voice as she met Tomoe's glare with an innocent grin. Her cheeks had a pink tint after answering an embarrassing question.

"Why do you think that?"

"They've been giving me dirty looks all day. I can tell Tomoe _hates_ me. We've been biting heads like crazy. (sigh) They do say jealousy is contagious."

Misao snickered with some of the punk and emo girls before Kaoru heard a whistle. The girls who were only halfway dressed squealed before running back to their lockers and throwing on their things.

"Who needs an extra hair band?"

"I do!" one girl yelled next to Tomoe's locker. Kaoru jogged over fully dressed and as she handed it to her, the girl smiled and thanked her before she decided to wait for her to finish. She ignored the other girls' glares and after the girl was finished, Kaoru flipped her hair forward and tied it up into a high ponytail.

"That looks so pretty on you!"

"Thanks! What's your name again?"

"I'm Azania."

"Cool name. I'm Kaoru. What's your group?"

"Rocker to the fullest." she declared with pride as she showed her ear piercings.

"Awesome."

The two walked away talking happily and as Kaoru's ponytail swished with her steps, they began to talk in awe about how healthy her hair looked.

"It's so thick and it's _natural._ Who has natural black hair anymore?"

"There's a handful, but her style is so fucking rad."

Megumi and Tomoe frowned at the loss of attention towards them.

"She's taking our shine. This is not good."

"I know." Tae pinched the bridge of her nose in thought and as Sae pulled her brown hair back, Megumi shut her locker and they began to walk.

"We'll just have to make her loose the _shine_, huh?"

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

"Okay! Today we are going to play soccer and compete for the male medal of the day and the female medal of the day! Who's in?!" 

Kaoru arched her eyebrow curiously at the cheers coming from everybody and as they began to move outside, she was pulled along by Misao towards two girls standing around and looking bored out of their minds. Her irritation level had risen two notches since almost the whole male class took a sneak peek at her legs and her curves (some even made whistles about it), she wasn't in the mood to be hit on anymore.

"These guys are dogs. And not in the Windserdruff way either."

"You'll get used to it." Misao said in a comforting tone. "Aoshi'll put a stop to it if that's what you want. Anyways, time to meet the only three girls besides us in the group. This is Yumi Komagata—Shishio's girlfriend who you will meet later—and this is Okon and Omasu Makimachi. My older twin sisters."

"Nice to meet you all." Kaoru said as she shook the brunette's hands and then Yumi's. Yumi had a cool relaxed aura around her while Okon and Omasu looked cheerful and ready to have fun. Misao smiled at Kaoru before Kaoru grabbed her hair and twisted it upward before removing a clip from the front of her bangs and sliding it through.

"Cute." Okon and Omasu chorused happily before Kaoru thanked them with a smile and they turned towards the gym teacher.

"We're going to have seven-on-seven games, so pair off correctly! Balls are coming your way!"

Yumi calmly said that she wasn't going to play before Misao waved at her and called her a 'pretty girl'. Kaoru laughed and as Tomoe got one of the soccer balls, she glared in Kaoru's direction and she angled her body perfectly before letting the ball fly. Misao gasped as she saw it coming. Kenshin looked up in shock as well before Misao cried out for her to watch out.

"She's gonna get nailed." one guy winced. "I feel bad. She's pretty too."

As Misao shut her eyes and waited for the cry, it never came. Instead, she heard gasps of surprise and 'she can play!' coming out of all different direction. It was then she opened her eyes to be in shock just like the rest of them. Aoshi smirked as he saw Kenshin's eyes stuck on her frame.

"You made a wrong choice at lunch, Kenshin."

_She's amazing._

Kaoru, who had a graceful smile, had trapped the ball gracefully and was now tapping it in the air with her knees and her feet. Kenshin watched Tomoe's glare set on her and all he could do was smile with a breath of relief and clap with some of the others for the way she started to jog and keep the ball in the air.

"I've been playing soccer since I was four years old." she stated to Misao as she threw it up in the air and she began to bounce it off her head. "My father forced me to play, but i've grown to like it."

"You're stylish, athletic, and you have a brain... _laughs_ The preps are so going down."

Kaoru let it come back down to her foot and as she tapped it up and circled her foot around it quickly, they cheered her on for tricks. Aoshi smirked as the gym teacher blew the whistle and then he walked over as she put the ball down and she put her hands on her hips.

"Tomoe hates you." he stated as he smirked in the angry girl's direction. "This is perfect."

"Let's go Kuro Neko!"

"Woohoo! Come on new girl! Chou demands you bust some prep ass right now!"

"Give it to em' Tomoe! Don't let that emo-punk freak take you down!"

"Let's go Preps!"

Aoshi glared at the preps side on the grass and as Kaoru brought her girls together, she leaned forward with them and began to talk to them.

"Okon. Omasu. You guys play defense. Azania, you're mid-fielder with... what's your name?"

"Tabatha." the brown-haired girl stated with confidence. Kaoru smiled as she removed her hair ties and she let it free for a moment.

"Misao, you're on forward line with me. I'm going to keep running back and forth for the help, okay? Our goalie is that girl who's back there. Her name is Maria, I think. Anyways, let's just trash these girls and show them that we're better in every aspect of... everything."

"Yeah! Let's trash these bitches!" Misao jumped happily. "On three, Core! One, two, three!"

"Core!"

Kaoru went up to the line and as the gym teacher told them to play nice, she nodded and she tied her hair again into a low ponytail. She put the clip to hold her hair up and as they were told Preps get ball first, they backed up.

"Remember to play aggressive!" Tomoe stated to her team. Kaoru just grinned as she shot a glare her way.

"Bust some ass, Team Core!"

Aoshi laughed at his cousin Hannya's words and he shook his head as the gold-eyed brunette cheered and held up a black shirt with the words 'Emo-Core' on it proudly. Kaoru gave a thumbs up to him before she looked over at Misao and mouthed words.

"Once they tap it, attack."

"Gotcha." Misao chuckled before the whistle was blown and the ball was tapped to the other player in front. Kaoru shot like a bolt and as the ball was dropped back, it never had time to be booted down the field as she stole it and began her assault. Aoshi cheered her on with the rest of the boys on their side and as Kaoru passed it to Misao and Misao went down a few paces before giving it right back.

"**SHOW A MOVE!**" Chou screamed. "**Let's see a trick!**"

Kaoru saw Tomoe on defense and as she grinned, she came up and watched as Tomoe got ready to steal the ball. A gasp of surprise and cheers from the boys went out as Kaoru put the ball between her legs, threw it over Tomoe's head, and ran up to hit it in the goal with her head.

"GOAL!" they screamed as the coach blew the whistle. Tomoe was still shocked as Kaoru began to jog back.

"How's that jealousy now?" she asked her in a teasing voice as she moved past. Tomoe growled and as the ball was put back in the front, Kaoru gave a high-five to her teammates.

"I'm going to get you all goals now. Misao, you're up first."

"I want to see you give them all goals." Tomoe yelled from her position. Kaoru put her hand behind her ear as she raised her head.

"What's that? Do I hear a challenge?"

"Damn right it's a challenge."

"Fine." she stated with confidence. "I get them all goals—even the goalie—and you prep girls have to praise us tomorrow in all of our classes."

"And if we win?" Megumi asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Same goes for us. And! If I get another goal myself, I Demand to sit on the swing at _Prep Hill_ at lunch with my group of choice."

"And if we win?"

"You guys can sit at their spot."

'Oooo's and 'Aaaa's went around and as Misao asked her what she was doing, Kaoru just smiled and she patted her back.

"We're going to win this." she told her in her ear.

"Tomoe's side is okay, but her other side is garbage. They don't move. So all we have to do is play that side and we're going to be fine. You'll see afterward."

"Deal." Tomoe yelled and Kenshin gasped as he looked at Megumi's shocked face. Tomoe shared a few words with her before she nodded again and Kaoru clapped her hands.

"Let's get this competition going!"

"**ALRIGHT TEAM CORE! LET'S GO!**" Chou and Hannya cheered together. "**I WANNA HEAR THE PRAISING!**"

Kaoru laughed gently and as Tomoe switched spots on defense, the whistle was blown again.

_Can she really pull this off?_' Kenshin wondered as he watched Okon send the ball forward to Kaoru and watch her pass it between somebody's legs on her way.

_She can't be __that__ amazing... can she?_

* * *

"**She just got the goalie a goal! I can't believe this! She's a fucking machine!**" 

Kenshin's mouth was open as Aoshi nudged Sanosuke's shoulder and began to demand his praising. Tomoe was furious at the first challenge lost and as Misao got the ball and began to move, she was pushed right after she kicked the ball.

"**Hey! Megumi, you stupid cheat! Don't push my cousin-in-law!**"

"Watch your mouth, Hannya." Sanosuke growled towards his direction. Hannya gave him a glare and the finger before Kenshin watched Kaoru take the ball and move down through the players and passed it to Omasu so she could deliver a corner shot. Tomoe rushed up towards her with an intention to bring her pain.

"This block is mine." she growled.

"Not if I can help it." Kaoru said back with excitement and as Omasu sent a beautiful shot, Kaoru sped up and they both jumped into the air. Their bodies collided as they went for the ball, but Kaoru got more air and she was able to hit the ball into the net.

"**Goal!**" Chou screamed in delight and his long spiky blonde hair swung high as he cheered and he waved his arms in the air. Aoshi clapped his hands approvingly and as Hannya held the shirt up, Kaoru rolled over and flipped herself up. She stretched her body and as she glared down at Tomoe, she then let out a grin as Tomoe got up.

"Goal. Be prepared to find a place to sit tomorrow."

"You totally fouled me!"

"I did no such! You're just too close to the ground. That diet coke's not working for you, huh?"

"You little--"

"**Hey!**"Aoshi yelled as Tomoe pushed Kaoru. Kaoru pushed her back and as Kenshin barked out a 'hey' himself, Tomoe tried to kick her with a high kick. Kaoru backed away and after she gave her a slap, Tomoe gasped and held her face.

"I've had it up to **here** with your **_bullshit_** today." Tomoe slapped her by surprise and from there the fight began. The prep and punk/emo boys ran onto the field as both the teams got in for the help and the coach blew the whistle and began to call for security. Kaoru was pulled off by Kenshin and as Sanosuke held Tomoe and Megumi back, Aoshi threw Misao over his shoulder and Hannya grabbed the twins with Chou. All the guys split them up effectively and as Kaoru was led away with her arms behind her back, Aoshi told him to keep her in the gym until he arrived.

"I will!" he responded before Kaoru shook her hair from her face and Kenshin opened the doors to the gym. Once the doors shut, Kaoru jerked her shoulders until he let go and spun around to face him.

"I don't need you holding me anymore."

"Just calm down." he stated gently as she let her hair down and ran her fingers through her scalp once more.

"She pulled my hair." she grumbled. "That dirty ass _whore._"

"Hey, be nice." the red-head urged. "You just met her today, so don't go calling bad names."

"So she can call me a bitch? Is that how you preps play." she gave a chuckle darkly before she turned away from him and she continued to massage her scalp. Kenshin watched her with thoughtful eyes and as he began to form words _again_ (she gave him a spark to be productive), Kaoru turned to him and spoke.

"What's her deal, huh? I don't even know her, nor do I want to talk to her, and she's just been this big asshole to me all day. Giving me dirty looks, comments; like, what the fuck is her deal! Is she that jealous of me? Her and Megumi both. I mean, I don't even care about them and they've made it their job to bug the shit out of me **all _day_**."

Kenshin didn't answer as she walked around in circles and she glared at the floor. He wanted to say something, but no words came to mind as she stomped her foot on the floor and turned to face him again.

"And you! What's your deal, huh? I practically laid my ass out for you up on the hill and you threw me away and ran with your tail hanging between your legs to your _preps._"

"My tail between my legs? What's that supposed to mean?" Kenshin was clearly offended.

"It means that you did what they wanted you to do. Not what you truly wanted to. They wanted you to take their side because you're one of them, but you knew that it wasn't wrong for me to sit up there with you. Because you're scared to loose position and power, you left me hanging dry. I thought we were friends, but... I guess I was mistaken."

"I am your friend." Kenshin corrected as he stood up and walked towards her.

"So why let that bitch harass me all day and not say anything about it! Not even a 'please be nice. She's new.' You didn't say anything! You just listened and did nothing! This isn't what friends do!"

"Look, i'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry if it upset you that much!"

"It's not the fact of being upset!" she screamed at him. "It's the fact that you're supposed to be my friend and you're a phony person already! Is it because she's your ex? Because you still love her?"

"Who told you that?" he asked quietly as he looked away. "Did Aoshi tell you?"

"I didn't even need him to tell me to see the way you two flirt. I thought you were dating, but he told me that's your ex and you still love her. He also told me that she's an awful person for you because she's cheated on you like you were nothing. Honestly, Kenshin. You don't need to flirt with an open door."

"Don't call her that!" he suddenly snapped. "You guys don't know Tomoe like I do. I mean, sure she's cheated, but we were barely together at the time! You and Aoshi have no right to call her a slut or a whore or a bitch, okay? Lay off of her because she has her own issues."

"Her own brother told me that she's promiscuous What makes you think that she loves you so much to not cheat anymore?"

"You don't know her!" he angrily yelled. Kaoru didn't show the least bit of surprise from his voice. "You don't know her at all! She's a good person, despite what she's done in the past! I'll be damned if anybody tells me different! I've known her for years and she's a great friend to have. Sure, she may not like the punks and the emos. But it's just our group and what we are. You have to understand that here in Oakley, we take it to the fullest. We don't mingle and switch it up outside of school. We are what we are twenty-four seven. Nothing changes that unless you switch sides. You can't just come here and expect to mingle with all the groups like it's Windserdruff. We're not that way and you'll end up hurt if you think you can just walk in and be nice to everybody. Stick to your group and save yourself trouble."

Kaoru stared at him in disbelief after his little speech and as she began to back away, Kenshin put his hand out to grab her and pull her back.

"Don't touch me!" she declared and he put his hand back at his side as he looked at her face. "I was wrong to think you were special."

"You... thought I was special?"

"With those words you gave last night, I swore you were special. You're so _deep_, Kenshin. So damn deep that I basically wanted to cry last night at the way you expressed _Allie._ I thought that for a moment I was her and I could feel the pain from what you said she went through. Fictionary character or not, it was so real it hurt. But, today I see you in school among your social class and I see what you truly are. You'd support some bitch who's been purposely doing things all day, than actually be honest and help me out like I did for you."

She put her hands together with a sad frown as she backed up and she shook her head. "Kaoru... Kaoru, wait--"

"Aoshi thinks that you're such a wonderful person. _Laughs_ Must be because you're his best friend, huh?" she looked up with a smile as she hugged her arms.

"Sorry I ever thought it'd be my own benefit to fight for you. You can't even think outside the damn box... I'm gonna go change and whatever, so don't stay here with me. Thanks for... well, nothing."

Kenshin tried to call her back, but she just ignored him and continued her way to the locker room.

"Kaoru, come on. Please just come talk to me?"

A door closing was his answer before he frowned and he turned around to leave. Aoshi was jogging over with Misao and as they asked where Kaoru was, he told them the answer and let Misao run ahead.

"You're a shame, Kenshin." Aoshi said sadly. "How can you... never mind We'll talk about this later. **_Tomoe_** needs you."

He passed Kenshin with a sigh and Kenshin just groaned before he walked quickly towards where the preps were sitting. Tomoe sat with ice on her cheek and as she glanced up at Kenshin, his glare made her quickly drop her head down with a frown.

"I'm _pissed_ off. Not only are we going to get in trouble, but you're probably going to have central detention for a day, she's suspended for what you started, and there's going to be drama tomorrow. _Sigh_ Get ready to praise tomorrow."

She stared at him in disbelief as he walked back towards the locker rooms with the class and as Soujiro and Seta caught up, they asked him if he was alright. He nodded to assure them and the trio entered the gym with the others. Kenshin saw Kaoru exit the girls' side and as she raised her head up and met his eyes, her head shook with a sigh as she turned her eyes towards Aoshi and Misao walked by her side outside the gym. Her black hair blew gently in the breeze and she gave him one last glance before shutting her eyes with disappointment and exiting the gym. Kenshin's amethyst eyes were filled with sadness as he entered the gym and he grabbed his bathing supplies. The poetic side of him spiraled in different thoughts until finally he came up with something short and meaningful to describe how he was feeling.

_Roses are red, Violets are blue  
God, why does my heart feel like it's breaking in two?_

* * *

R.S.: And i'm finally finished! I am so very sorry that this took so long. But, i've had a bunch of injuries from soccer and i've just been so tired from how hard I practice and work in school everyday. Had a hospital visit for an asthma attack about two weeks ago and now i'm sick with some kind of virus which has had me in bed most of the time either rolling in pain or sleeping it off. _Sigh_ It's been a hard September and October so far. 

Please read and review! I'm trying to get these things out fast, but i'm just so tired. I haven't felt a hundred percent since... August. My coaches are so worried they have me out for two weeks.

**_-Rampaging Sorrow_**


	7. Can you prove it?

**R.S.**: -- Hello everybody. I feel like crap right now, so not much to say. This sickness I caught is really taking it's toll. Anyways, enjoy chapter five (cough cough). :( gods, I want to just sleep it out.

-_Rampaging Sorrow_

* * *

_When you notice yourself  
as something more than just a reflection  
you'll see (you'll see)  
it's not me (it's not me)  
I guess I'm trying to say,  
I know it's not love, but...  
-__**Come Close**_by**Saosin**

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_

_**By: Rampaging Sorrow**_

_**Chapter Five: Can you prove it?**_

"Now_**this**_ is the life. Kaoru, you're amazing."

"I told you we'd take over the parking lot. Just had to get here a little bit earlier than everybody else. Half an hour isn't too bad, right Misao?"

"Not at all! I actually like dancing out here!"

Aoshi smirked at his girlfriend's bouncy attitude and as he waved in more cars, Kaoru checked them off with a smile and she put the paper back in her pocket. In a span of ten minutes, Kaoru managed to get them to block off the **whole** parking lot with their cars and to blast music from her car full stereo. She used her arms to point cars in different directions and Aoshi watched the shorter black-haired girl laugh and point a car to the right.

"Two more cars, right?"

"They're right here." Misao cheered. "Come on in, Shishio! Jesus, you take forever!"

"It's too early." Kaoru heard a voice call back. "Be grateful i'm out here."

She laughed as Misao stuck her tongue out at the shining black car and Aoshi pointed it over towards his own. Almost everybody had on black, dark red and blue, but it was Kaoru who stood out the most by her bright blue mid-calf cargo shorts, matching converses, pink socks, and a pink _**Paramore**_ band shirt with wild designs. Chains hung from her waist, a pink studded belt kept her pants from slipping, multi-colored bracelets adorned her wrists and three mini-guitars hung from her neck with hearts and a pair of stars hanging from her ears.

"You look awesome, Kaoru." Misao bounced as she spun around Aoshi and hugged him. Kaoru's digital camera was quick to take a picture of them both in their matching dark blue shirts. People began to jog over spinning keys in their hands and once they shoved them deep in their book bags, Aoshi cleared his throat and he pointed over to Kaoru with his left hand.

"Everybody, for those who didn't meet her yesterday, this is Kaoru Kamiya. From Windserdruff."

"The mingle city." Yumi said with an approving 'hmm'. "My cousin lives there."

"It's_amazing_." Kaoru said in a singing tone. They smirked at her energy before Aoshi told them all to hold still.

"Kaoru, this is my cousin Hannya Shinomori a.k.a. My right hand man. He is one of the elite" Kaoru reached her hand out to shake, but he turned it gently and pressed a soft kiss on the veins in her wrist. His soft lips lingered for a second and Kaoru gave a sexy smile before he stood up straight and backed up to where he was standing. Confusion swept her features as he bowed formally and took a knee.

"It's respect." Misao explained. "They all will do it."

"This is Sawagejou Chou. The dirty player. Another elite."

"Howdy." he said as he tapped his forehead with two fingers. Kaoru waved gently before he did the same as Hannya and was left on one knee.

"This is Beshimi, the spy. Shikijo, the brute. Okon and Omasu, the seduction experts. Yumi, the interrogator. A female elite. Shura, another female elite. The Pirate of the group, so to say. Azania, the rookie, and her younger sister Rosaline. The innocent."

They all had taken a knee and as Aoshi ordered for the elites to step forward, Kaoru was amazed at the kind of organization they had together. To her, they were like an army ready for war.

"These are the elites. The ones you've heard so far are Hannya, Chou, Yumi and Shura. These are the rest." Kaoru nodded before Aoshi pointed to the next in line.

"Souzou Sagara. The leak." Kaoru widened her eyes at the last name and the dark-haired senior just gave her a seductive grin before he took his knee and bowed his head with his hand over his chest like a noble would. Kaoru gave a polite bow.

"Usui Uonuma. The partially blind."

"Partially blind?" Aoshi nodded and Kaoru gave a soft frown of sadness.

"Don't think too hard over it, Kaoru. I am a **master** at my other senses, so I don't feel that this is a punishment." she nodded and he took a bow before Aoshi cleared his throat and continued.

"Anji Yūkyūzan. The Buddhist. Takimi and Gentatsu Shigure. The anger-management twins." Kaoru had to chuckle gently with the rest of the group at the two brothers smiled and nodded before bowing.

"Tokio Haijime. Saitou's real wife. Long story. And finally. My wife, Misao Makimachi. The ninja."

Kaoru watched her bounce over with a soft smile before she put her hands at her sides, brought them up to her chest as if she was holding a ball, and bowing forward.

"Final Fantasy X lover." Aoshi muttered as Kaoru smiled and watched her take her knee and bow her head.

"The High Elites. My cousin Saitou Haijime. The Wolf." Kaoru looked at the bright gold-eyed man light a cigarette and exhale the smoke before sighing and taking his formal bow.

"Shishio Makoto. The psycho." Kaoru arched her eyebrow in confusion at the white bandages dat were almost all over his arms and around his torso area.

"Long story." Aoshi whispered in her ear as the senior took his bow without any question.

"Shougo Muto. The "Son of God". And finally, myself."

Aoshi took his bow and after they rose one by one, Kaoru pulled her hair over her shoulder and she put a hand to her chest.

"I'm very honored to be included in the group already."

"You better be." Chou said in a teasing tone. "Those preps would eat you alive if you were by yourself."

"Nah, I doubt it." she said after thinking about it.

"Why's that?"

"I'm not easy to take down."

"That's the attitude we want." Hannya said with a fist. "You're going to be fantastic. You guys know she's the one who got us the right to sit on Prep Hill today?"

"Why would we wanna do that anyways?"

"To mess it up, duh." Misao retorted to Beshimi's question. Kaoru jogged to her car and after turning the music up higher, they pulled out chairs and snacks to sit around with.

"We won't be moving for a while. Tell me, Kaoru. How _**did**_ you get us to sit on Prep Hill?"

"Trashed em' in soccer." she stated as she opened up a bag of chips and poured them into a bowl. Hannya grabbed his skateboard from the car with a few others who were now showing up before they began to skate around and really party. Kaoru laughed with Misao as the two began to dance to the sounds of _**Scary Kids Scaring Kids**_ like everybody else was. People stood by the blocked entrances and as Kenshin pulled up with the preps in tow, he gaped at the sight of the lot.

"She wasn't kidding." he said in shock and awe. "She really shut the parking lot down."

"**Hey! What the hell is going on?!**"

Kaoru grabbed her own skateboard from the back of her car and as she skated over to the blocked off space with Aoshi and Saitou, she did a kick flip before pulling the board up and standing there with a slick smile on her face. The glares she received only made her smile widen. Only once did she glance at Kenshin's white polo and black pants before shaking her head and looking over to Sanosuke's angry face.

'_I need to break this color scheme of his.'_

"Open the damn lot!"

"I told you yesterday. You got the hill, we got the lot. And, since I got central detention for what that... thing did yesterday, I've found all the more reason to go through with my plan. Go find somewhere else to park because we've taken this space over."

"This is bullshit. You can't take over a parking lot. A **public**parking lot at that."

"Um... Is the hill public?" Kaoru asked Sanosuke. He couldn't give her an answer and as she heard a dance song come on, she began to back away.

"You're wasting my morning. Anyways, this lot is now _**Punk-Emotica Lot. **_Have fun parking along the street. Oh! And for you girls,"

Aoshi loved the way she gave an evil grin towards Tomoe's car.

"Get ready to praise. Let's go partay!"

Kaoru skated off and as Kenshin looked over at Aoshi, Aoshi didn't bother to reason with him and he nudged Saitou with a smirk.

"Saitou, I think Prince Sanosuke is turning red."

"It's a nice color." Saitou teased with Aoshi in his usual cold tone. Aoshi nodded and as Kaoru told them to come back, Aoshi looked to both his muscular guards.

"You two. Don't let _**anybody**_ past these cars." Kenshin gasped.

"Aoshi, come on! This is ridiculous!"

"The new elite has spoken, _**ahou**_." Saitou said to interrupt him. "I think her voice was clear enough."

And with that, the two high class walked off. Aoshi looked back to see Kenshin's heated glare on him, but he only smirked with his ice blue eyes and grabbed a water. Kaoru was already taking pictures and making friends with anybody she could and as the cars began to park along the street and use different parking lots, they joined together for one huge photo.

"Take it!" Kaoru urged a smaller boy. He nodded and after Aoshi put Kaoru in her spot, she asked him what was wrong.

"Elites have a spot, you know." she smiled at him before Misao stood next to her and they began to throw up a sign. Misao took her hand and after pushing her thumb and index finger together, Kaoru finally saw the letter **E** and she said 'ah' before doing it herself. They were lined up on each side facing Aoshi (with a row in the front kneeling down) and as they each gave their own small smile, Aoshi fixed the crown (it really was one too) on his head and the boy took the camera.

"Sweet." Kaoru said as they all looked at it and nodded. More pictures went around as they danced and posed to the rock and dance songs that shuffled through the Ipod. The preps refused to move from where they were standing and as Aoshi sent over two more people to help, Kenshin growled at his best friend's antics. Sanosuke hit the top of his car angrily as cars were honking and beginning to turn out behind them. Kaoru laughed and pointed as she changed into a light blue tank top.

"This is bullshit."

"Woohoo!" Kaoru laughed as she spun off of Hannya and the two jumped up and down with the others to the drums and guitar filling the lot. She froze as she heard the next song.

"My friend Enishi and his band made this song!" she exclaimed happily as she began to shake and throw up a rock sign. _**Here I Stand**_ got them all together dancing with each other and as Kaoru saw Aoshi actually stepping and moving to the beat with Saitou, she was happy she thought the plan up (A/N: song is originally made by _**Madina Lake.**_).

'_This is __**awesome.**_'

Kenshin watched her put a hand in her hair to hold it back as she danced and moved her hips with Souzou to the beat. A streak of jealousy ran through his veins as she glanced in his direction and then rolled her eyes away. Souzou pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek once he saw Kenshin glaring in their direction. This boiled his blood even more. At one instant, everybody pulled away from each other and jumped to the drop in the beat. Souzou moved away from her and as he began to dance and jump with Misao, Aoshi moved over to her with Saitou and Hannya.

"You're genius." Hannya declared as Aoshi gave Shura the camera and they took a picture with her. Even if the boys didn't smile, it was good enough for Kaoru as she began to sing the words and throw the rock sign up in the air again. Whoever knew the words began to sing with her.

"_Inside i start to fall apart. (Where do we go?)  
And i'll pretend I'm holding on (Where do we go?)  
So i guess i'll bleed in silence.(In silence)  
I guess i'll bleed in silence._"

They jumped again as the beat dropped for the last time and the chorus began to play. Kaoru had climbed onto Misao's trunk (she did ask before) and as Hannya held her camera, she began to sing the chorus and dance. Her rock symbol never left the air as she smiled and they cheered her on and Hannya got a few pictures.

"_Here i stand (Here i stand)  
All alone, (Here i stand)  
Tonight (Here i stand)  
And i wish i was strong enough to breathe (Here i stand)  
__Without you, (Here i stand)  
In my life, (Here i stand)  
I wish i was anyone but me (Here i stand)_

_All alone (Here i stand)_

_Tonight (Here I stand)_

_And i wish i was strong enough to breathe (Here i stand)  
Without you, (Here i stand)  
In my life, (Here i stand)  
I wish i was anyone but me._"

The song flipped over into another one and they cheered as Kaoru got down and brought Misao over for a picture. By eight-fifty, they were still out there rocking out and enjoying themselves. Saitou had grabbed an amplifier from his trunk and as Kaoru grabbed his guitar, they paused the music and they looked over at Kaoru standing on top of a crate. The preps were trying to get in, but they had no avail as one of the guards held a bat and hit it in his hand.

"You don't want to try me this morning." he had said in a dark tone. "I'm in a violent mood."

"**Play something for us, Kaoru!**" Chou cheered. "**Rock this shit out!**"

Kaoru nodded and as Saitou turned it up and grabbed two drums from his trunk (A/N: Saitou drives a SUV, by the way), he made sure the amp was hooked up to his car and he told Kaoru to start something.

"I'll just try to match it."

Kaoru nodded and as she thought about the rhythm she had played in her room a few days ago, she made sure the notes would sound right and she saw Misao taking a picture.

"**Go, Kao-Kao!**" she exclaimed as the girl tied her hair back. "**Rock it out!**"

As Kenshin growled at one of the guards to move and as he raised his fist ready to swing, the sounds of guitar made them all stop and look. His eyes widened as he saw Kaoru behind the sound and as Sanosuke said 'whoa', Soujiro spoke up.

"That girl's a beast."

Saitou played a beat to match her rhythm perfectly and as Chou cheered and started to move to the beat, Kenshin watched Kaoru lean forward and feel the music as her fingers moved. Saitou switched the beat up a little bit on the two drums he had and as Soujiro and Soshi sat on top of their car to listen, they leaned their heads back and swayed their feet.

"Don't enjoy it!" Megumi told them harshly as she saw them moving to the beat.

"We like good sounds. This is _**amazing**_ coming from a girl."

Kenshin watched her with new passion in his eyes and as she faded into a stop, they cheered her on once she raised her hand and took a bow with it across her chest.

"**We found a monster! That was the hottest thing i've heard all year!**"

"Thanks." Kaoru laughed softly before they demanded another beat from her, she smiled and shook her head.

"Come on, Kaoru! That was awesome!" Azania begged. Once they all gave begs, she looked over to Aoshi and saw him nod. Her eyes trailed over to Kenshin as she fixed a note. Light blue eyes were heated with energy and as she gave him a dazzling smile, she jumped from the cart and immediately went into another rhythm once her feet hit the floor. They cheered her on and as Sanosuke saw the school's authorities coming through the entrance of school, he sighed in relief.

"Thank god."

One of the guards text Aoshi about the turn-up and as he cursed, he showed it to Hannya and Shishio. They growled in annoyance at the matter before they told the guards to let them through. Kaoru had started to dance with her steps and Kenshin, no matter how much he didn't want to admit it, loved her on guitar. The soft smile on her face was beautiful as she began to spin around and laugh at the cheers being sent her way.

"**I'm in love!**"

Kaoru did one final chord to Saitou's drumming and she sighed as she bowed again and Saitou began to pack up. Kaoru saw the principals moving towards them and as she pouted, she snapped her fingers in annoyance.

"Damn. Just when this party was getting awesome."

"Take your seat, Aoshi." Hannya reminded. Aoshi went to sit down as Chou turned back up Kaoru's Ipod in the car.

"Should we stop?" Kaoru asked him as she grabbed two sodas.

"Nope." Saitou sat next to him with Shishio before Hannya made them start to dance again like nothing was going on. He sat in the driver's seat so they couldn't come and turn it off. Kaoru moved to sit right next to Aoshi and as they clashed their bottles of soda and took a drink, three men and one woman stood in their business suits glaring at Aoshi's frame.

"Principal Takeda. Vice Principals... and lackey." the women glared at Aoshi's frame as he took another swig and let out a breath of air. Kaoru scrunched her nose up as they looked at him before Saitou asked if there was a problem.

"You got that right there's an issue. How are supposed to run a school if the whole parking lot's cut off from students parking their cars? The street's are **not** supposed to be lined up with all these rows of cars!--"

"Okay, okay. So we shut down the lot and people are upset. This was to make a point."

"... Just who are you?"

"Kaoru Kamiya. New student from Windserdruff." she saluted with with a smile. They didn't seem to pleased.

"Who's the brains behind this whole thing? Is it you Aoshi? Lord knows you just can't seem to stop messing up. You have such high grades, too."

"Actually, it wasn't me this time." Aoshi stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "It was her." His fingers pointed to Kaoru and as Kaoru flashed another smile, they widened their eyes in surprise.

"_**You?**_ They said you were such a good student in your transcripts! What brought this along after one day?!"

"My own doings, of course."

Kaoru sat back in her chair with a pleased smile on her face and after she took another drink of her soda, Misao bounced over and hugged her around her shoulders gently with a taunting grin.

"She's great, huh? Thought this whole thing up herself. Maybe next time the preps will see that they can't just mess with us anymore. She's not taking shit from anybody."

"Look, we're going to deal with this accordingly. If you all end this now, you will just receive a week's worth of morning detention."

"And if not?" Kaoru asked as she swirled her bottle around in her fingers with an arched brow.

"Then you all will be **suspended.**"

They looked at each other and as Aoshi said one moment, he let out a high pitch whistle. Everybody stopped what they were doing and as Chou turned the car off completely, he threw Kaoru her keys and they all came together to huddle around Aoshi and Shishio. Kaoru threw her hair over her shoulder and once Aoshi quickly said what was going to happen, everybody began to look at each other and state their opinions. Kaoru raised her hand before she moved to where Aoshi was and got everybody's attention.

"We can end it because not only do the girl's get praising in school today—something that should be nothing but beautiful—**but,** we sit atop _Prep Hill_. We can just party up there all lunch. Me and a few others who want too will leave school to grab a few boxes of extra large pizzas and we'll come back and celebrate victory up there. Only thing I want is the swing. Sound good?"

"Sounds great, actually." Hannya admitted and they all agreed before the elites clapped their hands and the High Class moved towards the authority of the school. Everybody else began to pack up what was out before Aoshi grabbed Kaoru and pulled her over.

"You made the deal, you let them know." She nodded before the principal asked what the verdict was.

"Well, as you can see, we've decided to just take the week's worth of detention. **But!** We want something else in return."

"Oh? And who are you to make deals with us?" the woman asked in a degrading tone. Kaoru ignored it and she put her hand up to block her out. She then turned back to the principal with a mischievous smile.

"I can easily say for everybody to party again. Suspension means nothing to us, you know. Now, back to what I was saying. We give back the parking lot **in return** for whatever place we choose. We don't want Prep Hill, either. We just want to make our own spot and **keep**it. None of this trying to run us out business. Sounds good? I can just do this again tomorrow if you don't like our proposition."

Principal Takeda glared with a flushed face at her frame before he put his hand out and growled out, "Deal."

"Glad you see it my way." Kaoru replied as she shook his hand. "**Move the cars, guys!**"

"Move my car?" Hannya asked and as Kaoru took his keys, she jogged over to where the blocks were at. Kenshin looked at her silently and she only gave him a cold stare.

"Hope you had fun with this little stunt of yours." his voice was thick with frustration and annoyance.

"I had a _**blast**_." and with that, she got inside the stylish black Honda They watched her reverse with one hand before shook her head gently and began to drive the stick shift with ease.

"Is there anything this girl can't do?" Hannya said in awe. "She drives _**stick shift.**_ Aoshi, that's hot when girls can do it."

"She's going to be a female High Elite by the end of the week. Tops."

"I give her two days." Shishio said in a serious tone. "She's got the mind set and she's loyal. Very loyal. She sat right next to you so you wouldn't have to take it alone from them."

"I know."

"Everything's cleared." Kaoru said and as the prep cars began to roll in, she jumped into her car and she changed her shirt. She grabbed her school things as well before she locked her car up and she saw Shougo rolling his eyes and listening to Sayo bark at him, she walked over to Hannya and asked what the deal was.

"Sayo is her younger sister. She doesn't like this type of stuff and she lets him know every time He doesn't really seem to care, though. As long as he's faithful to God and he doesn't curse like the rest of us, he's fine."

"He's a devoted Christian?"

"Very devoted."

She saw Kenshin park his car up and as Hannya poured water on his hand, she waited for him to spike his hair up and she adjusted her clothing. She grabbed a ribbon and tied it around her neck in a neat bow before she felt Hannya take her hand.

"Let's get to class, shall we?"

"Sure." she smiled back.

Kaoru didn't see the heated glare of anger that Kenshin sent off as Hannya wrapped an arm around her shoulder and he opened the door for them both. To make him even more jealous, Kaoru looked back and flashed a dazzling smile. His blood steamed and his eyes flashed gold for a moment before Tomoe put a hand on his shoulder.

"This whole thing just pisses you off, huh? Now we're all late." he nodded to her before she linked her arm in his and started to walk to class. He didn't feel like having her cling onto him, but he'd tolerate it since he was just too tired to talk and argue with his ex.

'_She's just so... complicated... Or maybe it's me._'

"It's you."

Kenshin's head snapped to the right to see Aoshi walking past him with his book bag slung over one shoulder. His head was turned so he could look back at Kenshin's shocked face. Saitou could only smirk as he held Tokio by the waist before Aoshi gave him one more piece of advice. Even though he took offense to it, he had to admit it was something true.

"You don't know what you want most."

* * *

"Did anybody see the soccer game yesterday? Kenshin totally _murdered_ on the field with those three goals!"

"That was great at all, but did you guys see what went on in the parking lot? Kaoru totally ruled it! They said she planned the whole thing in like half an hour."

"Wow, that is better than the soccer game. How long were they out there?"

"Just got in like nine-thirty. They blocked off every entrance with the cars and Aoshi even had his little _guards_ blocking. The preps were freakin' _**pissed**_."

"And she plays guitar!! She totally ruled it outside!!"

"Seriously?! That's awesome!"

Surprise filled Kenshin's ears as he realized that he wasn't the talk of the building. Sure, he didn't really care, but he wasn't used to having other groups be the center of gossip. He saw Kaoru moving past him with Misao next to her and as they stopped and coughed, Tomoe and Megumi growled.

"I'm waiting." Kaoru lightly said and as she and Misao looked at them, the two preps gave somewhat of a smile as Kaoru fought back the laughter.

"I love your outfit, Kaoru. It makes you look _**amazing.**_"

"Misao, that's the cutest shirt i've seen all day. It makes your eyes shine more."

Kaoru and Misao gave them taunting smiles. "Thank you. You're dismissed." The two burst out laughing as they walked past and they high-five each other before going inside their Creative Writing class. The two growled before following suit with Kenshin. He couldn't help but chuckle at their curses.

"You're_laughing_ at this?" Tomoe asked offended.

"Hey hey hey." he said as he put his hands up in defense. "Nobody told you to go with the bet."

"I didn't think she could do it! _**Growls**_ Now we have to go out for lunch today, let them destroy our hill, **and** the varsity soccer coach is already waiting for gym class so he can talk to her and get her to play for the team. No tryouts at all."

"She is good, though." he replied trying to make a point. "I mean, if I was coach and I heard she did that kind of damage, i'd grab her up as fast as possible before anybody learns she does other sports."

"You're not hel-ping." Tomoe sang in a slightly angry voice.

"I'm making a poi-oint." he replied teasingly before he messed her hair up and entered the class before her. Kaoru raised her head up to see him laughing and holding her hands from hitting him before she turned to Souzou and she watched what he was drawing.

"A new idea for t-shirts again."

"You make shirts?" she asked in surprise as everybody began to grab their things from the shelves and sit down.

"Yeah. You wanna wear some and fashion them for me?"

"Sure, but why me?"

"Well," he began as he raised his chocolate brown eyes to look over her features. "You're what the girls would call a _**Fashion Icon**_ and the guys would call _**hot stuff.**_ They'll look at you and they'll pay _more_ attention to what you have on because you're beautiful. Get me?"

"Wow... thanks."

"Don't thank me for the truth, Kaoru. Teacher's here."

In the meanwhile, Kenshin had his head in his arms as he glanced over at Kaoru smiling and running lip-gloss along her lip. His eyes clearly stated longing for her. She chewed on the top of her pen in deep thought as the teacher began the lecture and the innocence (to him) was beautiful. Her light blue eyes were bright in the sun and her black hair had a slight blue tone to it. His eyebrow arched as he studied the top of her head with wonder. As he shut his eyes and glanced out the window, his phone vibrated moments later.

"A text message?" he wondered quietly to himself. "Who the hell texts me in Creative Writing?" His fingers opened up his cell phone before he saw a message from the same person he had been staring at. He opened it after a moment's hesitation.

'**Stop lookin me, prep boi. U have no reason 2.**'

He frowned and as he wrote back, he put his phone back and buried his head back down.

"Who text you?" Tomoe asked curiously. He shook his head as Kaoru opened up her sidekick and read the message.

'**Plz dont b mad me. Im sorry, ok?**' she growled before writing back.

'**Dont give me ur fake apology bullshit. Im not gonna hear it all**'

He frowned and as an assignment was given, he decided not to write back and focus on his work. Kaoru didn't bother looking for a message either. He secretly watched her and after he saw her pulling out her agenda book, he grabbed his own and wrote in it the same time he saw her fingers moving.

'_I'm going to catch her in the hallway __**now.**_' Once her hand shot up, his did as well before any of the other guys could ask to use the bathroom.

"Can I use the bathroom?" they both said simultaneously. She gave him a curious glance before the teacher asked them both to come up to the room. Kaoru rose from her seat and as the two met up at the front, Misao took a picture of them with her camera phone while they were looking at each other.

"Aoshi's gonna love this."

Kaoru turned her face away in annoyance and after Kenshin sighed and shifted his pants, Souzou leaned over to Misao and pointed.

"They look nice next to each other, you know."

"I do. The colors balance out."

They both thanked her for the passes and after Kenshin walked to the door, he opened it up and waited for Kaoru to go through. She stared up and down before giving a cold, "thanks." and hearing him sigh in sadness as he shut the door behind them both. Tomoe glared over at Misao.

"What's the deal with those two? Is she trying to date him?"

As slowly as she could, she flashed Souzou a smirk and she turned around in her seat to face Tomoe's arched eyebrow. Instantly, her cool smirk faded into a deadly scowl. She forced herself to say the rudest thing she could muster up. It made Souzou laugh.

"Mind your own fuckin' business and stay out of hers."

"**Misao Makimachi!**"

* * *

"Kenshin, are you going to follow me to the bathroom? That's not allowed here."

"Like I don't know that already. Anyways, the only reason I came out the classroom is to talk to you."

"There's nothing to talk about. I don't talk to non-friends a lot. Just a 'hi' 'bye' relation, ya know?"

"Kaoru... don't be like that. Please?"

Kaoru ignored his pleas and as Kenshin just walked next to her and tried to stare into her eyes, he finally quickened his pace and cut her off. Once she couldn't get past, she glared up at him and they finally dug deep into each other. It chilled Kenshin to the bone how light her blue eyes were and as they pierced his shell, he gave up and he looked away.

"Kaoru, please. I'm sorry. You know I am. I... I don't want us to not be friends."

"I dont befriend fake people." was the cold response he got.

"But i'm not fake!" he declared. "You can trust me, Kaoru. I swear I won't let you down!"

"So what happened yesterday?!" she suddenly snapped. Kenshin took a step back as she had spun around to face him. Hurt flashed before she forced it back inside and held her shaking fists.

"You didn't have my back **at all** yesterday. At all! Kenshin, you don't seem to understand what a fake person is. And if you don't, then all you preps are really shallow in**every**high school there is. A fake person is a person who pulls the shit you pulled yesterday. If you were my friend, you would have supported me up on Prep Hill and said, '_This place is a free space guys. She's new here, so don't give her such a hard time, okay?_' That's what you would've done. Instead, you basically threw me out in the street when you said, '_It's better if you just got off the hill and didn't come back to swing. Ever._' If you were a friend, you would have told Tomoe to get off my back!"

Kenshin looked at her emotions showing through her eyes. Guilt dropped like lead in his heart and he put his hand up to touch her shoulder. "Kaoru--"

"I'm in trouble already! My mother called my father and they're fighting again. Do you know how that makes me feel? To know i'm the cause of their fighting? I already had to watch the bad divorce! It hurts!"

"... Bad divorce?"

"What, you didn't hear? They didn't start gossiping yet? Nobody dug out information on me? _**Laughs**_This place is a joke."

"What happened?" Kenshin asked in a concerned tone. He could tell it wasn't good by the way her eyes darkened and she blew into her fists. Her legs began to pace back and forth and as Kaoru began to walk again, he kept up with her.

"Kaoru, please talk to me. I'll listen with an open heart."

"Whatever. Go listen to Tomoe or something."

"What does she have to do with this?!" he almost screamed. "This is you and me! She doesn't count in this!"

"Until she shows her face." she snapped hatefully at him. "Then you're quick to go hang with her and let her cling onto your arm and growl at me from behind with all this '**Off Limits**' bullshit."

"... I don't even want to know. But, Kaoru come on!"

"Kenshin, you can't do it. I know for a fact you can't do it. You're not willing to risk everything you have."

"What do I have?" he asked her as he stood in front of her again and crossed his arms. "What do I have that's so important?"

"I know your type." she coolly responded. "You don't want to give up your status as the top prep just to hang with some emo girl. I know you're the best at whatever you do and everybody looks up to you as what you are. I've heard about you, okay? Lord knows the suck-ups in this school talk enough about you."

"That has **nothing** to do with **me**. Don't listen to the hype and get to know me!"

Kaoru stared at him in disbelief before shaking her head and moving towards the bathroom door.

"Kenshin, face it. You're afraid to go against the code. You've already seen me do it **twice.** And _**nothings**_ happened. At all. You have no backbone when it comes to your groups. You just act the way you're supposed to and please everybody else but yourself. You think I can't see misery through your eyes? Because if that's the case, then your poetry isn't from the heart. I mean, I know a lot of people who fake shit everyday. You're on that list now, but you know. It's okay because I don't need your drama on top of mine."

"Kaoru, please don't be this way."

"... When I talk to you, I think of this." Kaoru grabbed the door handle and as she looked back at him, she blinked her sad blue eyes. Kenshin's eye were desperate for her approval and as she gripped the door handle, her lips began to move. Kenshin's ears caught the poetry type flow and his eyes widened as she said her words to him.

"_We wear the mask that grins and lies_

_It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes--_

_This debt we pay to human guile;_

_With torn and bleeding hearts we smile_

_And mouth with myriad subtleties_."

Kenshin understood what she meant and as Kaoru pulled the door open, he told her to wait.

"Just give me a chance!"

"You're scared to jump into unknown waters, Kenshin. I don't want to have to keep dragging you along to show you what you can do."

"Kaoru--"

"Kenshin!" she finally begged as their eyes met. Her heart made her want to just accept it, but she was going to make him crack his routine her own way. To her, just giving in wouldn't solve anything and she promised Aoshi that she'd test him to see where his heart really stood.

"Just, let it go okay? Just... just let it go."

She walked inside the bathroom and as Kenshin walked back and forth in thought, his thoughts began to spin wildly and he leaned against the lockers in confusion.

'_Why is she making me feel so guilty? I shouldn't even push this! But... my heart is telling me to do it... Am I really ready to go against what i've built up? Do I really want to just crash it down this way? Maybe Kaoru's right... Maybe I am scared... I would love to pursue something more with her... she's so beautiful... but, I... Should I really risk it all? What the hell should I do?!'_

Kenshin walked in circles searching for an answer inside himself and after fighting it, he got fed up and he looked to the door. His pace was quick as he knocked and he looked at the glass window. He couldn't see Kaoru through it, but he didn't care as he put his hands on the glass and stared directly at it. It was as if he knew she was right on the other side listening. Her back was pressed against the wall as she waited for his response. It surprised her when he didn't start begging and pleading. Instead, he responded with poetry like she did. Amethyst eyes desperately pleaded for her to come through the door.

"_I wear the mask that grins and lies,_

_It hides my cheeks but does __**not**__shade my eyes._

_For if you truly look inside you will see I have nothing to deny._

_I'll pay my debt to human guile--_

_With a torn and bleeding heart __**I**__smile_

_And mouth with myriad subtleties._

_But, the notorious mask that grins and lies_

_Lies inside both you and I_

_Some days it will hide our cheeks, but always show our eyes_

_Showing them in ways we can't deny._

_We all pay our debt to human guile_

_With torn and bleeding hearts we'll smile_

_Teary eyed, we'll mouth our subtleties together._"

Kaoru pushed herself from the wall after a few moments and Kenshin gave a soft smile of relief as she came through the door. Her eyes met his and as she put her hands on his shoulders, she rested her forehead against his gently and shut her eyes. His cheeks slightly heated up as she sighed and she pulled away.

"Do you really want to be my friend? One of my close ones? Are you willing to have my back no matter what? You have to promise me this, Kenshin."

"I promise." Kenshin responded softly without hesitation.

"You willing to prove it to me?" she asked him in a mischievous tone as she played with his bangs. Kenshin nodded and he resisted the urge to just lean forward and kiss her right there. She looked so seductive with the way she chewed on her lip innocent and giggled to himself.

"Today, at lunch, you're going to do something with me, okay? I don't want you chickening out either. And we're going to do it in front of your prep friends too. Can I have faith that you won't abandon me?"

"I won't abandon you."

Kaoru loved how serious his voice sounded.

"That's good. Now, let's discuss how you turned that one verse into something amazing."

Kenshin gave her a smile and as the two began to talk about lines and move back to class, they ended up laughing together as they entered the room. Kaoru smiled at him after shaking her head and they both then went to their seats. Before she sat down, she cleared her throat.

"Your shoes are awesome, Kaoru. I wish I owned a pair." Tomoe said with her teeth bared. Kaoru smiled and thanked her before she gracefully landed in her seat. A glare was shot her way before Kaoru picked up her pencil and looked up into blue-green eyes of curiosity.

"What happened in the hallway?"

Kaoru thought for a moment before giving Misao a playful shrug. "Nothing. We just... had a connection is all."

"A connection, eh?" Souzou questioned. "And just what kind of connection are we talking about?"

"It's nothing." Kaoru giggled. "Pay attention before **both** of you fail."

Kenshin began to write his four-paragraph story and as he thought of what to base it on, amethyst eyes glanced over to see Kaoru twirling her pen and smiling at Misao's little re-tell of what happened after she left. Tomoe watched his lips slowly curve into a soft grin before he looked down at his paper and started to move his pen quickly. Words began to go across the line and as he chewed on his pen top and began to write again, Tomoe became furious at the title.

'**A Taste of the Sky**'

* * *

_**Lunch**_

_**12:30 p.m.**_

_**Cafeteria**_

"Sayo, who bought lunch?"

"Tae and Sae. They'll be here in a minute. God, I still can't believe we have to sit here. They really get to sit up on our hill?"

"Duh. Thank _**Tomoe**_ for that."

Sanosuke gave Tomoe a small glare and after a finger was flashed her way, she sighed and she waited for most of the preps to arrive at the outside table. They could easily see some of the emos and punks dancing on the hill to rock music. It boiled their blood, but all they could do was watch as Saitou shot a clear paint ball at their tree and they laughed at the way his eyes narrowed and Tokio fed him pizza.

"Where's Kenshin?"

"Probably upset about the hill. You know he sometimes hates it because his brother sat up there for years."

"True." Tomoe replied with a nod to Megumi's comment. Soujiro and Soshi both shrugged their shoulders before they sat down on top of the table and they examined each other's nails. Soujiro's grin widened as Soshi pointed out some dirt in a sarcastic tone before they began to hear whistles and cat calls.

"Hey hot stuff! Come over here!"

"Woo! That new girl is **fine!**"

Sayo waved Tae and Sae over with the food before they watched Kaoru walk towards a table and set a boom box down. She put a CD inside and Tomoe smiled in delight as Kenshin walked over and sat next to her. The two shared a loving hug before Kenshin leaned back and stared up into the clouded sky.

"What's new around here right now?"

"Nothing, but emo girl has a boom box What the hell does she want now? They already get Prep Hill for the day and we've had to compliment her forever. Ugh, I hate it so fucking much."

"It's your fault." he chuckled. "Don't jump into things you don't know."

Just as Tomoe was going to respond something back, Kenshin looked over at Kaoru flashing a grin his way. As music began to play, he slowly understood what she had meant earlier. A gasp came over his features as _**Calabria**_by**Enur feat. Natasja** began to play and he recognized the beginning.

"She wouldn't." he whispered. Tomoe arched her eyebrow."She who?"

"**Kenshin! Come dance!**" she laughed and as she began to move her hips to the spanish tone of the song, the preps looked at Kenshin with arched eyebrows. They began to ask what she was talking about and as she danced in a circle, she looked back over his way. Kenshin's eyes followed the way she shook to one side and then winded her hips.

"Don't back down, prep." she playfully told him and after Kenshin put down his book bag, they gasped and asked what he was doing.

"I can't back down from a challenge."

"Kenshin, don't do it!" Tomoe demanded, but Kenshin was already moving towards her in the circle. Kaoru had made sure she started the song over once he rose up. She clapped and as everybody began to watch, her hands continued to clap the beat as she began to walk around him and move her hips. She stopped once symbols were heard and as Kenshin slowly began to step to the beat. Sanosuke was shocked that he actually knew this type of rhythm.

"That's the spirit." Kaoru encouraged and as the words began to play, he grabbed her hand and the two began to dance with their bodies and move around each other. Kenshin held one of her hands as their hips swung with their steps and spun her around. The spanish population in the lunch cheered them on with eagerness and as Kaoru smiled at him and moved, the skilled red-head held the other hand on his stomach gently as his hips swung in beat with hers and he finally took her other hand so the two could salsa.

Rosaline cheered as she jogged over with Misao to watch. "**That's right!**" she cried. "**¡Muestre a estas personas cómo baile debe mirar! **(Show these people how dancing should look!)"

Kaoru grinned as he spun her around and moved with her spin so that he was in front of her once again. Their second version of the salsa continued for a few more moments with Kaoru shaking her hips fast at the end before Kenshin put her back to his chest and the two began to wind in opposite directions. The whistles kept coming as their hips brushed casually and once they went the opposite way, Kaoru let him spin her around again and dip her to the chorus. He quickly felt her legs drop flat and he turned her over twice with himself before pulling her up to he feet and doing his own dance. She jumped in after a few seconds and as she told him he was doing good, the song picked up speed and **club mix!! **was heard through the beat.

"This is my favorite!" she exclaimed as she began to jump from foot to foot. Kenshin saw what she was beginning to stat up and as he began to do the same, the two began to pull some nice foot tricks. Sanosuke nearly spit out his water as he saw one of his best friends dancing and smiling with Kaoru. Both sped up and after jumping on their heels, they laughed and stood up straight. Misao stopped the music before they were applauded and they bowed.

"Told you that you could trust me." he said as she gave him a hug. A nod was felt on his chest before the two let go and Misao led Kaoru towards the hill.

"WOOHOO! TIME TO SWING AND EAT!" He made his ponytail tighter ponytail and once he sat down, he raised his head up to see a bunch of shocked expressions.

"What?" he said with innocence. "It was a challenge."

* * *

For the next three periods, the two text each other and laughed about different things that came to mind. Right after gym class was over and Kenshin finished washing up from the difficult game of soccer his whole team decided to do, his phone vibrated on the bench next to him. He looked at it before flipping it open and running a comb through his damp red locks.

'_**Hurry and come to music class**_

_**-Kaoru**_'

Kenshin held the phone as he continued to rub his head and get his clothes on.

'_Why does this crazy girl want me at music class so early?... Oh well. Should be interesting._'

'**I'm on the way.**

**-Kenshin**'

He quickly finished up drying his hair and after he grabbed another towel, he put it over his shoulders and he tied his shoes on his feet. Without hesitation, he grabbed his book bag and quickly moved through the doors to the gym. Tomoe was in the bleachers with Megumi and Sayo laughing about what a random boy in the class had on his feet.

"Those are so beat up. Jesus, I thought I killed shoes in gym." Tomoe shook her head with a sigh before she saw Kenshin quickly walking across the floor. She called out to him and waved her hand, but Kenshin continued to stare at his phone and move his fingers quickly across the pad. A pout came up on her lips as the gym doors slammed shut and she crossed her arms.

"It's alright. He's probably going to hand a paper in or something. You know how early Kenshin is with his work."

"Yeah, that could be it." she replied before giving them a smile and moving over to Tae and Sae could sit down. As they laughed and talked, her eyes glanced over at the doorway again and her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

'_Kenshin, you better not be going to see that freak._'

Kenshin slipped his phone in his pocket and as he opened the music door, he sighed and saluted playfully to the girl who sat strumming the acoustic guitar in different chords. He put his book bag down and after he sat down next to her, she stopped swaying with the beat and she turned to face him with a smile.

"Hey. You really showed up fast."

"I didn't feel like sitting in the gym anyways." he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "What'd you want me here for?"

"To play with me, duh."

His eyebrow arched in disbelief and after Kaoru moved her chair further away, she shifted the guitar and she thought of what to play.

"You're serious."

"Dead serious. You're going to sing with me. Besides, our teacher won't be here for another ten minutes. Now, what to sing... Ah!" she pulled out paper from her book bag and after showing it to him, he narrowed his eyes and read the title.

"_Start with one _by _**Shiny Toy Guns**_. You listen to them?"

"Yeah. They're pretty awesome. I like that song _Jackie will save me._"

"Hey, me too!" Kaoru gave him a pretty smile before she asked him if he knew the words.

"It's one of my all time favorites. I know the words and the pitches."

"So let's not waste time."

The bell rang right after Kenshin nodded and once Kaoru tuned the guitar a little bit more and found the right notes, she set her guitar down and handed Kenshin a nice shiny black one.

"You play?"

"Sometimes."

"Play the melody. You know how it goes, right?"

"Yeah." he honestly replied before Kenshin began to think and play. After nodding to him with a smile, the two started over and they began to drift and feel the music.

"We'll split it up and then we'll sing the chorus together." Kaoru raised her hand and after counting down to one, Kenshin opened his mouth and began to sing. Kaoru was impressed with his voice.

"_Starts with one  
i can't feel  
its all in your mind anyway..  
i can't heal  
..make me feel this way_

_Oh..._" His calm purple eyes glanced over to her at the small pause before Kaoru began to sing as well.

'_**GOD IM IN LOVE**_.'

"_Now there's two I can't see  
(__**Kenshin:**__I can't see)  
I've never felt this way  
I can't feel(__**Kenshin:**__I can't feel)_

_anything anyway._"

Smiling together, the two sang the chorus in a way that the band who originally sang the song would be proud of. People began to enter the classroom to stand and watch the beautiful interaction between the two different styles and ways. Kaoru shook her hair from her eyes with a smile.

"_Let's show them the only way  
Let's show them our hearts..._

_Oh..._"

The preps and punks/emos began to enter as well and Misao smiled in awe at the pair with Aoshi at her side giving an approving nod to Kaoru's glance over. The preps?... They were furious. Not only were they shocked about the fact that Kenshin could sing, but no matter how nice it looked, it sickened them that he would actually work with her and _**enjoy**_ doing it. The two increased in guitar and vocal volume.

"_**Kaoru:**__Only three I can't seem  
(__**Kenshin:**__I can't seem)  
To get enough anyway_

"_**Kenshin:**__I can't speak  
(__**Kaoru:**__I can't speak)  
Nothing to say anyway_.

"_**Both:**__Let's show them the only way  
Let's show them our hearts  
__Let's show them the only way  
Let's sew up their hearts_."

Aoshi glared at the preps daring them to speak and as they began to slowly change the sound of the melody, Kenshin leaned his head from side to side for a moment before the two began to sing once again.

"_Distorted light moves in  
Or am I mistaken?_

_It feels so, feels so  
Feels so cold...  
It feels so, feels so  
Feels so cold..._

_There goes today  
It slowly fades, slowly fades away_

_Here comes today  
Never go, never go away._"

Kenshin threw his head back with a sigh and as Kaoru's fingers stopped, applause shocked them to reality. They looked around to see their classmates giving thumbs up and as Kenshin glanced over at his preps, he saw that they weren't pleased. The teacher rushed into the room quickly and after telling them to quickly take their seats. Kaoru took his guitar and after putting it up, they moved to their seats with everybody else and waited for the teacher to pass out their books. Kenshin saw Tomoe glaring at him and once he sat next to her, she 'hmph'ed and looked away.

"Tomoe, calm down."

"Don't talk to me."

"Are you serious?" a glare was his answer and as he grew irritated, he grabbed his books and rose up.

"No need to sit next to a statue for group work." he coolly stated. Tomoe gasped in shock and as Kenshin moved three rows back, he opened his book up and began to copy down what was on the board. Kaoru, who sat two rows behind him, smiled softly at the move and stuck her tongue out at Tomoe's heated glare in her direction. As the class went on and Kenshin turned his desk like asked, she saw his face perfectly and she watched as he rested his head into his arms and slowly shut his amethyst eyes to fall asleep.

'_I'll have fun fighting for him... He's actually worth it._'

**_I've gone for too long living like I'm not alive  
So I'm going to start over tonight  
Beginning with you and I  
When this memory fades  
I'm gonna make sure it's replaced  
With chances taken  
Hope embraced  
and have I told you?_**

* * *

****

_**R.S.:**_ The piece above me is from **Paramore's**song**_Miracle!_** Awesome song to listen to.

And here is chapter five! Kaoru's making her place known in the school no matter what and everybody around her is being affected. This was just minor compared to what Kenshin's going to do in the future to prove himself. Will it cost him his friendships? u'll just have to think on that.

It's 3:15 and i'm going to bed for the next 4.5 hours so i can have something for school. Nite nite everybody.

-_**Rampaging Sorrow**_


	8. Prep, Are you ready to compete?

**R.S.:** Hello everybody. I'm terribly sorry these are soo late. Anyways here's the chapter. I'm going to have trouble posting because my father BLOCKED and I have to upload it from somewhere else, k? I'm rele rele sorry :(

_**-Rampaging Sorrow**_

_Do you know where your heart is?_

_Do you think you can find it?_

_Or did you trade it for something, somewhere_

_Better just to have it?_

_Do you know where your love is?_

_Do you think that you lost it?_

_You felt it so strong, but nothings turning how you want it_

_**-"Say(All I Need)"**_ by **OneRepublic**

* * *

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_

_**By: Rampaging Sorrow**_

__

**Chapter Six: Prep-Boy, are you ready to compete?**

_**Saturday Morning**_

_**7:30 a.m.**_

_**Kaoru's Room**_

"Kaoru, are you getting dressed to go talk to that coach with Aoshi's girlfriend?! You left too early the other day, so get it done this morning and come back for your chores! She's going to meet you there, okay?!"

"Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first **six** times."

With a cell phone in her fingers and her heart thumping wildly with nervousness, Kaoru dialed her father's phone number and put the sidekick to her ear. The ringing sound felt longer than usual and as she twirled a pen in between her fingers, she crossed her fingers and blew her bangs upward with a sigh.

'_Please not be busy today, please not be busy today, please not be busy today,_'

Just as she was thinking of hanging up, her mood brightened once she heard,"_Hello, darling._" pass through in a deep voice to her ear.

"Daddy." she sighed in relief. "I thought you weren't going to pick up for a second... How have you been?"

"_Pretty good. The house feels weird without you here, but i'm learning to cope with it day by day. I really do miss you, Kaoru._"

"I miss you too, daddy!" she exclaimed. "I think about you and Windserdruff all the time!" his laughter made her smile softly on her bed and she turned to glance out the window. As usual, the deep rumble of this throat warmed her body completely.

"Daddy," she began while running her hands through her hair to drag it over to one side, "I really miss you. And everybody else down there, too. I'm not really doing anything this weekend so I was wondering if I could... you know, come visit for three days. I'll just go to school on Tuesday. I could tell you about everything that's been going and we could laugh about--"

"--_Kaoru... I can't do it this weekend... I have to visit your aunt in the center and I have to go on a business trip to Salsedin. I won't be back until Wednesday. I would love to take you, really I would. But, this time only I have to go. I'm really sorry, Kaoru. It was a last minute thing that I couldn't turn down._"

"Oh... I see." Her eyes darkened instantly as she lowered her head and rested it against her knee. She could hear him instantly try to make up for it and tell her that he'd send her a special gift.

"No, no daddy. It's okay." she quickly answered in a soft, depressed voice. "I... I kind of expected this anyway. Look, I'm gonna go talk to this soccer coach for my school. I have nothing else better to do, so i'll play and try fencing. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"_Kaoru, I love you so much. I really do want to spend time with you. It's just hard to mix it in._"

Kaoru suddenly got angry. "It shouldn't be hard! I'm what counts the most, dammit! You know you can do it! But, whatever. Have fun on your trip to Salsedin and tell Auntie I said hello. I should've saved myself the damn disappointment!"

"_Kaoru!--_"

She slammed her phone shut just before he could get anymore words out and she threw it inside a red, yellow, and green soccer bag. As much as Kaoru wanted to cry, she held it in and she brought her knees up to her chest to try and calm down. Her fingers lightly tapped against her knee as she breathed deeply and she let out a groan of frustration.

She knew that it was going to happen; it had been going on from even in Windserdruff. She had even prepared herself for it. The words always sounded the same, the only things changing in them were the places and the reasons. But, since she was now even father from her father than before, she had hoped that he'd see the importance in the matter and ask to take time off. A bitter laugh escaped her lips for even considering that he'd put his work aside. She could remember every time he blew off something they'd planned for work.

There were a few occasions where he'd ignore his job, but in the end he'd always just go straight back once he got to their home. She'd end up swimming with her aunt or playing a game of hide-n-seek (in which her aunt hid and did drugs while Kaoru searched for her) while her father made calls and checked the stocks his company made. At times she knew he didn't mean it. He'd constantly told her that he loved her more than he loved himself. And it was the honest truth. He'd fought to keep her in court countless times from their divorce when she was nine years old. He'd even donated blood when they both had gotten into a bad car accident when she was twelve. But with work... she felt like it was declining.

"If does so much for me, so why can't he just throw work aside? He doesn't have to work another day for the rest of his life with how much success he has! I just want three days with him. It's not that much to give!"

The last statement was accompanied by her fist slamming into her wall. It didn't leave a bad mark, but her knuckles burned with a pain that forced her to shake her fingers with a hiss. She rose to her feet and grabbed her things before fixing her shorts and walking down the steps. Kaoru slammed her door so hard that Seth and Yahiko raised their heads up in confusion at the loud '**bang**' sound coming from the upstairs.

Kaname frowned. "What does she think she's doing up there?"

"That slam sounded upset to me." Seth curiously said as he placed a hand under his chin and 'hmm'ed. Yahiko quietly chewed on his toast and once Kaname saw Kaoru moving through and as she asked what was the slamming about, Kaoru pushed through the door and ignored the request.

"Kaoru Kamiya, don't you dare slam through things in my house!"

Kaoru grabbed a zip-lock bag from the fridge and after throwing it into her bag, she shut it harshly and she pushed back through the doors.

"Kaoru, what the hell is your deal?!"

"Piss off and ask your ex what the problem is!" she barked back before slamming the front door shut. Seth was shocked and as Kaname put her hand over her mouth, she reached into her pocket seconds after and she pressed a few numbers. It rang for a few seconds before a deep 'hello?' came to hear ears.

"Shinji, what did you do to Kaoru? She bust through her like she was going to murder the president for raising taxes."

"_I told her that she couldn't come to see me this weekend. I have to leave for Salsedin after seeing Takako in the center._"

"Shinji," Kaname groaned in a high pitch. "Why are you doing this to her?! You can't just do that! You know how hard it was for her to leave you."

"_I know, I know. I really want to show up. I can't shake this business deal at all!_"

"Shinji!"

"_**What do you want me to do?!**__ It's hard enough with me going to see Takako every day! I come home to an empty house, dammit! I want to come and take her back home every-waking-minute! This is hard for me too!... Look, don't tell her what i'm going to do okay? She didn't give me a chance to tell her that Enishi should be there in an hour and a half. That should cheer her up. He's there until Wednesday and he's thinking about transferring to be with her._"

Kaname sighed in relief before she took a bite of her omelet and gave a thumbs up to Seth. Seth sighed in relief as well.

"He'll stay here, okay? Thanks for doing _**something**_. I can tell she's not to happy about this place. _Sigh_ At least you're trying."

"_**Don't**__ start, woman. Don't start._"

* * *

_Just like the lion and the lamb_

_yea, but only in real life_

The harsh glare she gave the road only accompanied the slightly dark music that filled through her car as she stopped at the sign and she looked both ways. Her hand swiped at her eyes with a 'sniff' and she made a sharp right before angrily pulling inside the parking lot for the soccer field. She swallowed back the rest of her emotions before she grabbed her things, got out the car, and pressed the 'lock' button as she made her way onto the field.

"Four laps, ladies!" she heard being yelled in a gruff voice. "We have to be in tip-top shape to win the championship this year!"

Her ponytail swished gently with her un-even footsteps and once she reached the full field, Misao jumped off the bleachers and ran to their coach. Aoshi sat there in a dark blue and gray hoodie covering him from the small breeze chilling the air. He raised his gloved hand in a wave and Kaoru only gave a soft nod before she saw Kenshin jogging across the field in soccer equipment to Aoshi's direction. He smiled at her, but she didn't return it. Instead, she sat down on the last bleacher and she opened up her bag.

"Kaoru look sad to you?" Kenshin asked softly as he handed over his jewelery and he made sure Aoshi had his rings. Aoshi gave a soft nod before Kenshin frowned in her direction and the two studied her harsh movements. She threw things inside her bag and after she snatched her laces tighter and tied them up, she pulled up her tie-dye socks and she fixed her shorts and her dark blue t-shirt.

"Kaoru, come over!" Misao called. Kaoru nodded before she slid her bag down to Aoshi and walked across the field fixing her hair.

"She's definitely pissed about something."

"You can tell. She's not even trying to stand out right now. I mean, she is with the outfit in general, but it's not what she'd usually do."

The two nodded before they watched Kaoru give the coach a smile and shake his hand.

"I'm Kaoru Kamiya."

"Coach Hallstein. Just call me Coach Hall. Anyways, I've heard a lot about you from that gym performance! You did excellent, from what I heard."

"Thank you." Kaoru replied as cheerfully as she could. Misao arched her eyebrow at the lack of energy in the taller girl's body. The coach didn't notice.

"Well, start with three laps and your tryout will begin. Sounds good?"

"Yeah." she answered again with a nod before she turned around and started to jog her laps. Misao went back into Aoshi's arms as Kaoru began to pick up speed and Kenshin's amethyst eyes watched her start to move quicker and quicker in pace. By the middle of her second lap, she had passed some of the girls who were on their last lap. Kaoru moved through them like they were obstacles and she finally got tired and went on the outside. Tomoe, who was in the front, glared as Kaoru went past and onto her last lap.

"Bitch." she muttered under her breath as they stopped and went to start their drills. Aoshi noticed how harsh her lap last was and once she stopped close to the bench, she put her hands above her head and walked another lap to calm down her adrenalin. She went up the bleachers into her bag and once she began to dig through, Misao finally spoke up.

"Kaoru, you don't seem like yourself. Is something wrong?"

"No." she instantly answered as she pulled out her asthma pump and inhaled it once. "Nothings wrong."

"You have asthma?" Kenshin asked in surprise.

"Issues with it?" she responded with more ice than she meant to.

"No, no. You just don't seem like the asthma type--"

"--Don't try to determine my type by just a few days of seeing me."

All three of them were shocked by the bark in the comment and as Kenshin said 'I didn't mean it that way', Kaoru threw her asthma pump back into her bag and she took her water onto the field where she began to stretch out. Aoshi looked down at Kenshin before he shrugged his shoulders and patted his friend's red-hair.

"Jesus, she's touchy this morning. Is she PMSing?"

"You men always put it to that!" Misao declared as she hit his shoulder. Kenshin winced and then flashed her a grin before he rose up from his seat and fixed his socks.

"I'm gonna go practice with them again. See you guys later."

As Kenshin jogged onto the field, he watched Kaoru sit on the grass and grab her toes with an angry, yet depressed expression. Her head went down and touched her knees for fifteen seconds before she got up and she walked over to the coach and she asked what he wanted her to do.

"They're going to start crossing drills in a few seconds, so just dribble around the cones and warm your feet up."

Kenshin put on his wrist bands as he watched Kaoru move to the cones put around in a maze of lines. She waited her turn until she counted from five and she began to move around the cones without looking down at the ball. The coach watched her slid the ball backwards and turn it around and past a cone backwards before turning around with it and continuing through the zig-zagged stage. Tomoe was slightly jealous with some of the other preps as she quickly moved without hesitation and she let her feet be her guide.

"She's good." Kenshin told the coach as she did her last cone and she tapped the ball on her feet to wait. The whistle blew and the coach yelled for them to line up in three rows.

"Kaoru, move up to the front with Tomoe and Kaitlin. You know how to weave?"

"Yessir." she responded with a light breath. He blew the whistle and Kaoru started to run up instantly for the ball. Tomoe passed it to the other side just to spite her and as Kaitlin began to bring the ball up, Tomoe ran behind her to come around again. Kaoru called for the ball and once Kaitlin passed it as hard as she could to mess her up, Kaoru stopped it completely, gave one turn and she sent it all the way up to where Tomoe was going to intercept it.

"That was perfect." the coach said in amazement. "She knew where she was going to be and she stopped it without any bounce at all."

Kenshin watched Kaoru come back down the field with the ball while the second group went and she chipped it upwards so that he caught it.

"Oh, she's on the team." he said to the coach on the side. "This is Varsity status one-hundred percent."

The coach agreed and as Kenshin began to nod and listen to him, he watched Kaoru lean against the goal with her head down. He noticed her hands were touching the cold metal gently and he watched her eyes look up and glance in his direction. The colors clashed with intensity and as Kenshin mouthed 'you okay?', she shook her head and she got ready to go again. The coach blew the whistle before Kaoru sent the ball directly to its spot and sprinted around her.

'_I need to find out what's wrong with her. Even if that means that I have to ride home with her, i'll find out._'

* * *

"We're on break now. Kaoru, what's wrong."

"Nothing."

"You don't look like you're just fine."

Aoshi's ice colored eyes stared down at Kaoru with an arched eyebrow. Misao gave him a worried glance as she looked down at Kaoru's distant, yet cold expression. And Kenshin? He could only glance from afar as the soccer girls surrounded him and asked how they were doing so far.

"Kaoru, i'm really good at listening."

"I know you are." she told to Aoshi. "I just don't feel like explaining."

"Don't keep it bottled up. It'll hurt you."

"I know."

She finished her water and she shot it straight in the trash can before she pulled on her sweat pants and she removed her t-shirt to remain in her Under-Armor. She let her hair down and as Tomoe chatted with Kenshin on the bench, he lost concentration as he looked over at the way she ran her fingers through to untangle it and flip it over her shoulder.

'_She's a star in the public eye_

_Behind closed doors, her tears don't lie to her_

_Troubled eyes, please reveal to me your depression_

_Oh depressing eyes, don't you know?_

_I want to heal your wounds_'

"Kenshin! Are you even listening to me?!"

"What?" Kenshin asked as he shrugged his shoulders. "Can't I daydream?"

"Ugh! You loser!" Tomoe said in an annoyed tone. "These past few days you've just been out of it. You're hanging out with that emo as if she's one of us. Laughing with her and sitting with her and working with her in class. What's the deal with that, Himura? You act as if she's the best thing that's ever happened to you in this place."

'_She might be._' he thought in an amused tone, but he didn't show Tomoe his thoughts as he just arched his eyebrow at her ramblings.

"First off, relax." he began. "Kaoru's a nice girl to talk to and hang with. I'm loyal to the preps no matter what and you of all people should know that, Tomoe. You guys can talk to everybody you want to as well anyways. What's so wrong with me talking to Kaoru?"

"She's a place-wrecker. She's taking our shine, too. I mean, who dresses like that amongst their kind _**anywhere**_**?** She dresses like my brother, Enishi. He lives in Windserdruff with mommy."

"They're best friends. That girl he was smiling with on his myspace picture is her."

"**WHAT?!**"

"Let's go ladies! Time to scrimmage!"

Kenshin left her fuming on the bench and as he motioned for Kaoru to come over, she rose up and she walked over without a question. Once she went over, she saw Tomoe giving her a disgusted expression. Her eyebrow arched as she slipped her hands into her pockets.

"Problem, ugly?"

"Your best friend is Enishi Yukishiro?" Tomoe asked as if she were repulsed.

"Duh. How do you think I knew you were a who--"

"**Kaoru! Front line!**"

She flashed her a slick smirk before jogging to her spot and leaving Tomoe growling and shaking her fists. Kenshin watched her move to the wing and after the whistle was blown to begin, he called her name out and he sent it up her way. Misao cheered her on and as Kaoru trapped the ball and began to move up, Kenshin was amazed at her skill. She gave it back his way and after he told her to cross it, he kicked it back and began to drift to the left. Kaoru crossed another defender before she angled and sent it straight to Kenshin.

"Goal." the coach said in amazement as Kenshin tapped it right in. Tomoe growled as she stood next to Kaoru for defense. Her goalie raised it up and after kicking it down the field, they both jumped for the header. The coach blew the whistle once Kaoru sent it back to Kenshin's open spot and he kicked it in.

"This is suicide." he chuckled. "Kenshin, go on the other team and defend Kaoru. You two on the same team isn't fair at the moment."

"Sure." he said with a thumbs up before the girls giggled and smiled at his cheerful attitude Kaoru didn't bother to join in as she tied her shoes and she fixed her sports bra. Tomoe moved away and after Kenshin nodded to his instructions, he looked at Kaoru sitting down and making sure her colorful laces were even.

"I'm supposed to give you no mercy, you know. Think you can handle it?"

He frowned at the silence she gave him and once she stood up and dusted off, the coach blew the whistle and the scrimmage began again. For the next thirty minutes, the coach watched the on-going battle between the two best players on the field. They could barely get ahead of each other with their tough defense and their strong offensive skills. Each were getting frustrated with their teammates as well. Kaoru slid the ball back away from Kenshin and after passing it to her teammate behind her and telling her to send it up, the prep wasted time trying tricks and got the ball stolen.

"Don't do fancy moves against her! Use your body! Jesus!"

Kenshin was shocked at the anger coming from her and as their goalie caught the ball, she called for it and it was sent her way.

"Get ready for it to come back!" she told the mid-fielders. She pushed through Kenshin and after giving it to them, they kicked it upward. She watched as the game began to turn into _kick-ball_ and as Kenshin growled in annoyance, she spoke up.

"This isn't a game of goddamn kick-ball! Trap the ball and choose a way! You want teams like the town next door to destroy you or something?! _**UGH! **_"

Nobody listened and as Kenshin took a turn, he saw that they weren't serious anymore. Kaoru watched her teammates laugh with Kenshin's and as they kicked it again, she said 'fuck it' as harshly as she could and she walked off the field. The coach saw her leave the game and as Kenshin stepped off as well, he went and sat down in the bleachers. Instantly, he blew the whistle and asked the problem.

"Both of you! What's the deal?! You can't just leave a game like that!"

"**That** was not a game." Kaoru responded as she pointed to them. "**That **was **gym.**"

"She's right." Kenshin agreed as he dried off with a towel. "That was horrible."

"The teachers told me that i'd have a good practice against some strong girls from this town today. I didn't wake up to just watch a bunch of people kick the ball to every damn direction and laugh like it's the funniest thing in the world. I could have played **Fifa 2007** and had a better time."

"You just got here! Don't try to determine what our team can do!" a girl spoke up angrily.

"Then show some goddamn skills!" Kaoru responded with volume in her voice. "You don't even kick the ball correctly! Half this team dribbles with their head down! The only competition I get is from a varsity male player! What's up with that?! We should be ashamed coach had to switch him my from team to defend me!"

"You think you're some god of soccer?" Tomoe asked angrily. "You're talking like you're some damn expert."

"I'm not expert, but i'm not stupid either. Soccer is communication and ball control. Tricks come in _**later**_, mid-fielder. I mean, what the fuck."

"Language." Kenshin corrected as she placed on her slippers and she let her hair down. The coach tried to stop her as he told the team to start shooting on goal, but Kaoru spun her keys on her fingers and walked down the slight hill towards the cars. Kenshin watched him sigh and after he said he'd go after her, he began to put his things on as well. Kaoru unlocked her car and as she threw her bag into the back seat, she got into the car and she gripped the steering wheel.

"**Today is a bad ass day!**" she screamed. "**God, what's wrong?!**"

She grabbed a cloth from her bag and after she chewed on the inside of her lip, unshed tears finally bust through and she let out a breath of helplessness. Her head went down and she held the cloth close to her face.

"Why doesn't he ever have time for me?"

She was tired of the same answer for years and no matter how much she wanted change, her heart knew her father wouldn't see through and finally listen. It hurt.

'_Even the strongest of men want their parents to support them._'

"Kaoru?"

Her head snapped up and her sob turned into a sharp gasp as she glanced out her window and she saw Kenshin standing there with a concerned face. He jogged to the passenger side and after climbing into the car, Kaoru turned her face away and she pushed her seat away from the wheel. He watched her bring her knees up to her chest and her chin down on top. The silence hung thick in the air before Kaoru finally wiped her nose and she stared out the window.

"Why are you in my car?" Kenshin looked at her in disbelief before he mentally sighed and nodded to himself.

'_She must be used to doing things by herself._'

"Because i'm worried about you. You came to practice really... i'd say on the point of breaking. You've been edgy with everything you've done. The coach hasn't noticed because he's so hyped about your skill, but I have. Your eyes show that you're barely with it. You're just good at hiding it, ya know? I can tell because I do the same thing sometimes. But, that's besides the issue. What's going on?"

"Nothing." she quickly replied as she swiped at her eyes. "I'm alright."

"People don't cry when they're fine."

"Yes they do. When they're relieved or they find something they've desperately needed, they cry."

"But that's in happiness." Kenshin softly stated as he shifted to face her. "You're not happy."

Kaoru tried hard not to glance in his direction but once Kenshin gave a small 'please?', she looked over at the concerned amethyst eyes of Kenshin and she rested her forehead down on her knees.

"He has no time for me."

"Huh?" he asked in confusion. "Who are you talking about?"

"My father." she said loud enough for him to hear. He heard a loud sniff as she raised her head up and stared out the windshield.

"He is one of the greatest people i've ever known. When my parents were together, I was always **way** more attached to him because he showed me more love than my mom. Mom was all about being a lady and learning class and shit. But daddy was the best guy around. Sure, he showed me to be a polite person, but he was awesome. He taught me everything I know. He taught me how to live life."

Kenshin nodded to show he was listening. "He sounds amazing."

"He is." Kaoru repeated. "I mean, my father was just this tall guy who seems like he has no time for nonsense and is always serious. But, daddy has such a _**warm**_ heart. He's so kind and he's caring. This man will bust out _**crying**_ with me for stray kittens who get abused or lost children that end up being killed. We used to everything together."

"So... what happened?"

"My father runs this huge business called **Bokken Inc.** This place is basically perfect and makes so many good products it's ridiculous. Jewelery, Electronics, clothes; he does it all. But, with this company he always has to leave and work, ya know? When my parents divorced, it wasn't even a question to ask. I _**knew**_ I was going to live with my father. And for the first six months life was awesome. His sister moved in with us, but it was okay. We loved it. And then... he just was seen less and less!

"We live in a huge mansion." she explained as she pulled her hair over to one side. "And to just be there by yourself isn't fun. He just kept coming home later and later and every time we have fun together, it's cut short. And his sister's an addict, ya know? So, I don't even **want **to see her because she goes into these little fits and she'll try to, like, really hurt me!"

Kenshin nodded as Kaoru let out a shaky breath and she put her hands up to cover her face.

"I had to move here because my father's **mother** filed neglect charges on him for not being home so much. I didn't want to leave either because that's my home no matter what, ya know? I took so much time on my room and now shit's collecting dust. And daddy doesn't deserve to be alone either. His sister's in this rehab center, ya know? So now he comes home to nothing."

"Kaoru, you're in a tight spot."

"No shit." she bitterly chuckled as she removed her hands. "And, I want to be so mad at him because he's been doing this for _**years**_. Ever since I was thirteen he hasn't been there like he should. He doesn't have to work another day in his life! **I'm** his **daughter**!... Why do I feel like sometimes... sometimes he doesn't want me?"

Kenshin watched her shut her eyes tight and bury into her thigh as she began to sob helplessly in front of him. She had tried to hard not to, but it couldn't be helped. There was no holding back anymore. Her hands slid up into her hair and as she cried out 'i'm weak.', he got out the car and walked to the other side. Kaoru barely noticed when he opened her door and he pulled her out into his arms. His eyes slipped shut once he felt her fingers grip his shirt and her eyes in his shoulder.

"Let it out." he softly soothed. "Just let it out." One of his hands moved up into her hair and as he took a breath through his nose, he began to rock from side to side gently to comfort her.

'_It's so soft. Her hair smells like strawberries... I love strawberries..._' He mentally slapped himself for thinking those thoughts and he then rested his head on top of hers as he glanced towards the soccer field. Aoshi was looking their way and as Kenshin raised a thumb up, he saw him nod before he put his arm back around her and he felt her fingers start to loosen up.

"I'm sorry." she softly said as she turned her head so it was right underneath his chin. Her cheeks were slightly rosy with her nose and her usually bright blue eyes were now a darker shade. "I'm crying like some selfish brat."

"You're not selfish." His tan hands rubbed her back softly as he let out a deep breath. "You're just hurt. Everybody has to feel hurt sometimes. I mean, I really can't understand how you feel because my father wasn't really around."

"Really?" she softly asked. He nodded before he sighed gently again. Kaoru shut her car door and after taking the keys out, she locked it and the two began to walk back.

"He's a real... He didn't have a future. He's a joke to society—to me anyways. Never really took care of us. I guess... I guess he didn't know how. He was still a kid, really. So, after my mother got tired of him drinking and doing drugs, she took me and my older brother and left. It was the best move she ever made."

Kaoru didn't know how to respond, so all she did was nod. Once the two reached the bleachers, Kenshin sat her down and he sat next to her before she shivered at the breeze.

"You're still sweaty." he noted as he grabbed a towel and threw it over her shoulders. "That should be a little better."

"Thanks."

The two watched the girls scrimmaging once more against each other without jokes and as Kaoru wiped her face again, she rested her chin into her palms and she looked over at Kenshin with curious eyes.

"What made you chase after me?"

Kenshin, who was caught off guard by the question, cleared his throat and scratched his head in an embarrassed way. She gave a small smile and after Kenshin flashed one back, he put his hand over his chest and glanced up towards the sky.

"It's my duty to protect and save pretty women everywhere. When they are in tears, it's Kenshin Himura who comes to the rescue and puts a smile on their face. Sexual favors only given when needed."

Kaoru burst out laughing and as she hit his shoulder, Misao looked over and sighed in relief as Kaoru finally looked happy.

"He's doing a good job of cheering her up." she said as Aoshi rested his chin on top of her head. "I'm glad somebody's doing it."

"Mhm." was her sleepy response. Kenshin smirked as Kaoru shook her head and gave him a humorous, yet dry look.

"You're a Casanova."

"I wish." he mused aloud. She giggled once more before she asked him to be honest. He put his hands on his knees before he blew his bangs from his eyes and glanced upward in thought.

"Well, to be honest, I knew you were going to cry as soon as you got here. In your eyes, you could see that you were holding it back. Once the practice went to hell, you let out the anger and left before they could see you at your worst, ya know? I don't cry much, but I know when I do I hate for people to see."

Kaoru folded her hands and she stared down at her feet so he wouldn't see the softness in her eyes. "Well, even though I hate for people to see me cry... thanks for chasing after me."

"That's what friends are for." he replied without missing a beat.

"What if I had hit you?"

"I have good senses. You probably would have bruised my arm instead of my face." she coughed 'bullshit' before he laughed and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Noogies for that smart comment, little girl." Kaoru laughed as he rubbed his knuckles on her head softly and then tapped her forehead. She managed to get out of his hold before he held her hands and backed up with a smile as she tried to get him back.

"No fair! Come on, I should get a payback." Kenshin shook his head 'no' as she tried to hit him and she just growled playfully as their hands began to slap at each other. They soon rose up to stand and as Kaoru ducked his playful swing at her forehead, she gave him a soft hit to the chest. They ended up laughing at his pained expression before the two sat down once more and Kaoru raised one of her legs up to throw over his as they leaned back.

"Kaoru," he began as he watched the team start to shoot on goal once more, "Give me some of your poetry. You've already heard some of my stuff, so why not let me hear yours?"

"... That sounds fair. I'll give you something. It's a little piece from this song I made for my friend's screamo band." he clapped his hands with a smile before she rolled her eyes and shifted her body gently.

"_Hey girl, Ima eat your soul  
I got this sword, dashing young and bold  
lets collect, hearts on the way  
plus two, to you, in the evil bay  
so hey girl, what should we do  
get clues, drink some, potions that are blue  
well you know there just isn't time, I don't got the time  
I don't got the time._"

"... You wrote that?" he asked in surprise. Kaoru nodded and after she pulled her bag over, she grabbed her **Ipod** and she gave Kenshin an ear to listen.

"You heard the lines, now listen to how it was all finalized into the song. I played lead guitar and the guy who's screaming is Enishi." Kenshin saw her smile before he shut his eyes and rested his head against Kaoru's. Once she pressed play, his eyes opened up at the slightly dark tone of the music and how much he liked it. He listened to Kaoru's little excerpt from her work, but as she kept the song going, he began to tap his foot and his index finger.

"You play awesome." he told her in awe. "And the singer with your words? It's amazing."

"You don't really listen to screamo, do you?"

"No, but I think you're going to get me hooked to these songs. I mean, it's weird hearing that kind of stuff coming from a girl, but it makes you even more unique, ya know? You're one of the coolest girls i've ever met."

Kaoru smiled and said a soft 'thanks' as the song ended and she put it back in her bag. The two began to talk about different players abilities on the field and as they laughed at the coach's dry look, they were called over by the whistle and they sat in a circle.

"Today was an okay practice." he began, "But we can do better. So, on Monday morning we're going to run ten laps and we're going to scrimmage with the boys, okay?"

"Yes coach." they replied in unison. Just as he was going to speak again, his voice was cut short by somebody screaming out '**WHERE IS KAORU KAMIYA?!**' Kaoru froze and as they all turned around, Tomoe gasped in shock. Kaoru jumped up as if she was stuck by a needle and she put her hands over her mouth as she bit back tears of joy.

"Tomoe, isn't that your brother?" Tomoe nodded to the girl's question and as Kaoru ran her fingers through her hair and gasped, Kenshin watched him walking over with a slick smile. His hair was spiky and in such a bright blonde it was almost white. His eyes were a bright turquoise and as he smiled at Kaoru, she cried out '**Enishi!**' and she ran over to him.

"They dress the same." Kenshin noted aloud as Kaoru cried '**FINALLY!**' and she jumped straight into his arms. Her legs locked around his waist and as he held her tight and he spun around, the two began to declare how much they missed each other and how they never wanted to be apart again. Kenshin felt a tad bit of jealousy as Kaoru screamed out '**I love you, Enishi!**' and he replied the same with equal volume. She got down slowly and after he wiped her tears, she hugged him around his waist and sighed.

"I missed you so much, Enishi."

"Your father sent me. He knew in advance he wouldn't be able to come and whatever, so I volunteered immediately when we were eating dinner last night at _**Rumi's**_. I'm here until Wednesday and then if I want, i'm going to transfer here."

"Are you serious?!" he nodded and after she hugged him again, he laughed as she began to dance in victory. She stopped once she realized where she was and as she flipped her hair back and she looked over to where the soccer team was.

"You see your sister?" she said softly to him. He looked over to where she was and after their eyes met, he waved with a soft smile. She returned it and then shot a glare at Kaoru.

"We hate each other." she said to his arched eyebrow. "I told you she's a bitch."

She pulled him over and as the girls began to look at him in awe, Kaoru smiled softly and hugged his arm. He bowed politely to the coach before he turned to Kaoru and dusted of his sweater.

"How do I look? To die for?"

"Absolutely." she said seriously. "To die for." Enishi had on a dark green and light green striped shirt, a white button up underneath it, a a white tie, and candy-cane colored hand gloves. His plaid shorts were yellow, black, white, and his feet had pink socks, black socks with yellow stars over them, and white low-top converses. He gave a fake sigh of relief before the two began to laugh.

"Excuse me." the coach interrupted. Kaoru apologized with a hand behind her head before the two sat down and he began to finish his end of practice words. Kaoru barely paid attention as Enishi took her hands in his and he kissed the vein shown in her wrist lovingly. Once they put their hands in and cheered their team name, Kaoru pulled Kenshin from where Tomoe was standing and she pointed to Enishi as if he were a prize.

"Kenshin, this is my best friend in the whole wide world, Enishi Yukishiro. Enishi, this is Kenshin Himura. He's been helping me make this town a home." Kenshin smiled softly at her comment before the two shook hands with firm grips.

"Nice to see you again, Kenshin." Kaoru arched her eyebrow at the fake tone in his words. Kenshin could only nod and reply "Same here." with the same tone.

"My sister your girlfriend again?"

"We're just friends now." he said with a fake smile. "We established that."

"I see. Must be nice knowing you don't have to babysit anymore."

"Enishi, don't disrespect your sister--"

"Whatever, Himura. Ready to go, Kao?"

Enishi flashed her a smile and as Kaoru arched her eyebrow at their transaction, she slowly stated that she was going to get her bag. After jogging over towards Misao and hugging her tight, his smile faded and the two stared at each other coldly.

"Whatever you think you're going to do with Kaoru, just drop it now."

"Excuse me?" Kenshin asked with an arched eyebrow. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm not stupid." he sneered. "Your eyes are a lot more than some pretty color."

With a rough brush of the shoulders, Enishi changed his whole demeanor and smiled brightly as Kaoru jumped into his arms again and left Kenshin growling and balling his fists up. He glared at his back as the two began to move down the hill, but just as Enishi did, he smiled brightly and waved to Kaoru as she turned back around.

"I'm gonna text you if I do anything, okay?!"

"Sounds good!" he yelled to her. Aoshi, who had been sleeping on the bleacher like a homeless person, walked up to Kenshin rubbing his head and arched his eyebrow drowsily at the glare Kenshin gave to Enishi's back.

"I take it you two still hate each other?"

"What do you think?" the redhead snapped before moving towards his bag. Aoshi, who was used to Kenshin's emotions, yawned again and stared to walk towards the parking lot. Misao was quick to walk beside him.

"What's wrong with Kenshin? He seems pissed."

"He's jealous." Aoshi simply stated. Misao, who acted as if she solved the mystery of life, widened her eyes and gave a loud 'AAAH'

"That's why he's cursing out Tomoe's brother under his breath. _**Laughs **_Let's just wait for him in the car."

"Nah, we're leaving. Kaoru's setting him up for some time alone to hang."

"_**laughs **_That girl is amazing."

Kenshin made sure his shoes were neat inside his bag and after he looked under the bleachers for his other shin guard, his eyes fell upon Kaoru's Ipod.

'_She must've dropped it when she was throwing things in her bag... I should give it to her._'

"Have a good day, Himura." the coach said as he walked past with the soccer balls slung over his shoulder.

"You too, coach."

Tomoe watched him slip the Ipod into his book bag and she glared gently at his back as he made his way down the hill without saying goodbye to her. She called out to him and as he finally stopped and turned around, he gave her a smile and arched his eyebrow.

"Yes, Ms. Yukishiro?"

"Are you coming with us today to the movies?" She watched him narrow his eyes in thought before putting up a thumbs down.

"I'm with Aoshi today. I can't do it. See you Monday, okay?"

"Sure, sure." she said as if it didn't bother her. Kenshin turned back around and as she sat on the bench and pulled out her phone, she crossed her arms and she grabbed her phone. She waved to the other girls leaving and after she made sure she had everything, she heard Megumi's ring tone blaring. In an instant, the phone was to her ear.

"Megumi, we have a **HUGE **problem."

"_What's going on?--Sano, leave my cat alone! Anyways, what is it?_"

"I think Kenshin's into Kaoru more than me now. Today, she joined the team and whatever, but at one point they both got pissed because we were bullshitting practice. Kaoru packs her shit up to leave and he follows her. Fifteen minutes later they're back and laughing on the bench like they've been friends for years. And they were, like, all over each other hugging and play fighting and shit. Plus my brother's in town and if I know him, then we're gonna have a fucked up year since he's going to stay for Kaoru."

"_Why for Kaoru? Who the hell is she to him?_"

"They're best friends where he lives." she whined while reversing out her parking spot.

"_Damn..._" Megumi groaned. "_We're gonna have to think extra hard now with the others. Kenshin and Kaoru __**cannot**__ get together. It goes against EVERYTHING we are, what we stand for... EVERYTHING._"

"That's what i'm saying! But, I don't know about Kenshin. He might not do it because of that, but it's something about her that he just loves. It's killing me to see him smile at her. They're like the smiles we used to have when we were in love. And he's breaking rules, too. Like, what the hell."

"_Come to my house and we'll talk about this, okay?_"

"Sure." Tomoe finished and she hung up before leaving the parking lot and driving down the street. She saw Kenshin walking with an annoyed look on his face before she began to slow the car down and open her window. '_Maybe I can talk to him now and see..._'

"Kenshin!" his head snapped up and Tomoe gave a light smile. "You're walking home?"

"... I guess so." he responded with a shrug. His eyes were bright with the sun's rays and even if he was a little short, his body looked godly. Tomoe snapped out of her thoughts before she gave a sad smile.

"Aoshi left you?"

"Yup. I kinda snapped at him, so whatever. It's cool. Can't really be upset, ya know?"

"Yeah." she laughed softly. "Anyways, now that we're here let me ask why you're not going with us today to the movies."

"I told you before. I'm going with Aoshi today and we're gonna go out of town for a while to harass stuff. Typical Shinomori-Himura crossover things."

He laughs to himself as he's thinking and Tomoe shakes her head with a giggle. "I see. You want a ride home? You'll be walking for forty-five minutes and twenty if you run. I know you don't want to run."

"I'm actually fine with running. You don't have anything to do today besides the movies?"

Tomoe drums the wheel with impatience.

'_Damn! Get in the car!'_

"Actually, i'm heading to Megumi's to hang with her. Sanosuke's there too, ya know. You wanna go with us and hit up Aoshi later?"

"Hmmm... Sanosuke's stupid on Saturdays and I like to laugh... But Aoshi's makes me laugh every day of the week the way Sano does on Saturdays...Hmm..."

"It's a yes or no." she laughed softly. "Don't dissect every little thing inside of it." Kenshin blew a raspberry at her and the two laughed like children. He gave her a smile and as he was going to get in the car, he heard loud rock music coming from up the street. Tomoe looked in her mirror and she groaned as she saw Kaoru's truck. The smooth moving vehicle quickly parked in front of her and as she opened her window, Kenshin moved over two paces and put a finger up.

"One moment, To."

"Yeah, yeah." she growled and as Kaoru leaned over the passenger side, she glanced back at Tomoe's car. Kenshin chuckled as he saw her make a face of disgust before rolling her eyes and looking at him, the blue in her eyes cool and relaxed.

"Have you seen my Ipod? I left Enishi home to come find it."

"It's in my bag." Kenshin proudly stated. "You're an airhead, so I was gonna sell it on Ebay."

"_**laughs **_Thanks for picking it up, but I don't know about the Ebay part... Why are you out here on the street? That bitch kick you out the car?"

"Actually, Aoshi left me." he replied with fake cheerfulness as he shoved his hands into his pocket. "Sonovabitch abandoned me with Misao. I guess Tomoe was leaving the lot late, so she was gonna pick me up and take me with her to Megumi's house."

"Ewwww, ew ew ew. That just made me upset." Kenshin laughed and as Kaoru unlocked her door, she pushed it open.

"Hop in. I'll take you home."

"Serious?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. Kaoru nodded with a smile and after he put up a finger, he moved a little bit so Tomoe could see him. Tomoe watched him move his hand under his chin back and forth quickly to signal 'never mind' and point to Kaoru's car before waving and making a 'M' with his hand.

(Translation: Forget it, I got a ride. See you Monday.)

She growled as she watched Kenshin move back towards Kaoru's car with a soft smile on his face. And just before he got in the car, her blood boiled to new levels as she watched Kaoru put her hand behind Kenshin's seat and give her a devilish smile.

'_That bitch set this whole thing up! Sonova--_'

_'That's right.'_ Kaoru thought as she drove down the street.'_You never had a chance._'

* * *

"This is my humble-a-home."

"I like it. It's cute and cozy."

"... Are you making fun because you live in a huge house?"

"_**laughs **_No, but if you want I'll be a snob like those other prep girls are."

Kenshin gave her a dry look and as he got out the car, she turned down the music and let him walk to her side of the car.

"This date was wonderful, _Kenshina_." Kaoru said in a deep voice trying to sound like a man. "I hope you had as much fun as I did skating at the rink." Her smile was cocky.

"It was amazing." Kenshin replied in a girly voice. He batted his eyelashes as he put his hands on her lowered window. "I wish this date would never end."

"Well," she began, "since it was amazing can I receive a good night prize?"

"_**giggles **__Kaorun_, you sure have a way with words."

Kaoru flashed another grin, but then she gasped in surprise as Kenshin boldly pressed a kiss to her cheek. His lips lingered for a moment before backed up with a smile. As Kaoru touched her cheek, he kept his role and slid his hands behind his back.

"No lips on the first date." he teasingly said. "I'll see you in school, Kaorun."

"Are you going to the club soon?"

"Tomorrow night." Kaoru took her Ipod and she tossed it to Kenshin's hands. He caught it without question before he arched his eyebrow and watched her smirk.

"Listen to the first three playlists you see. See you soon, _Kenshina_."

Kenshin walked up to his door and after opening his door, he turned around and he smiled sheepishly before blowing a kiss and waving. Kaoru winked before she began to reverse out the driveway and drove towards her house. Her cheek felt warm with satisfaction and as she pressed a hand against it, she couldn't help but smile while her face heated up.

"Kenshin Himura is a trip."

* * *

"Honey, who dropped you off? Aoshi dropped off groceries half an hour ago."

"The new girl at school, mother. The one Misao told you about last night?"

"Aah, Seth's step-daughter. Kaoru, right?"

"Yeah. She saw me walking and since I picked up her Ipod from the bleachers, she gave me a ride here."

Chi-Mae smiled softly at Kenshin's clouded eyes before she pulled out a chair for him at the table and set a plate of food in front of him. Hiko lowered his newspaper and as he narrowed his eyes at Kenshin's day-dreaming.

"Baka, get your head out the damn clouds. You have yard work today, you know."

"Aoshi's gonna help me." he replied without a beat. Chi-Mae sat down and as she yelled at the ceiling for the girls to stop jumping, she took her hand and she pulled Kenshin's bangs from his forehead.

"You look so happy, son! Is she that pretty?"

"She's _gorgeous_." Chi-Mae and Hiko both 'hmm'ed at the same time in thought and as Hiko asked for a picture, he grabbed her Ipod and he put it on the table.

Chi-Mae gave a squeal of excitement. "She gave you her Ipod already? Are you two going out?"

"No, mother. She just wanted me to hear some music on it. Anyways, she should have pictures in here." he quietly opened them up and once he showed his parents, they both gasped as they looked at Kaoru hugging her father and smiling in a frilly green ballerina and pink top. The expression was dazzling.

"She's beautiful! Hiko, look at those eyes!"

"At least the boy has taste, dear." Hiko said in approval. "Way better looking than Tomoe."

"Don't say that whore-ish name in my house." Chi-Mae hissed with narrowed eyes. Then, she turned to Kenshin as he put it away.

"She's no hussy, is she?"

"**Ma**!"

"I'm just asking!" She put her hands up in defense. "I don't want another Tomoe."

"No, she's not a hussy." Kenshin sighed. "She's very... creative, I should say."

"So, ask her out! Take the initiative! God, i'd love her over for dinner." Hiko held Chi-Mae's hand as she rubbed his arm with her other hand and rested her head against his shoulder.

"See... that's the thing, mother..." Kenshin rubbed his arm with a nervous smile. "You know how we have this prep vs. emo/punk rock thing going on?"

"Of course I remember. Madox used to fight all the time in the park against them... What does that have to do with her?"

"She's on their team."

Chi-Mae was shocked. "Really?! She's so colorful!"

"I know."

"Who cares?" Hiko asked as he dropped his newspaper. "That shouldn't mean a damn thing. You kids today are so damn stupid. _We don't date the hottest girl because she's __**emo**_. Fuck the rules and grab her before someone else does."

"Hiko!" Kenshin's mother said in shock as he rose from the table and went to the fridge. He shrugged his shoulders and bent down to look.

"All i'm saying is that a girl that pretty isn't gonna be on the market for too long. And since she's interested in you—lord knows what possessed her—you should be lucky and take **full **advantage."

"I'm trying, okay? But there's one more issue."

"What, her shoe laces have too much skulls?"

"Funny." Kenshin said with narrowed eyes. "But that's not it. You guys remember Enishi Yukishiro, right? From when I was in middle school."

"That minx's brother! Those two had such a bad falling out with their parents divorcing. What's the issue with him?"

"He's moving back. He hates me. That's his best friend. And today, he told me to back off."

"He's in town! Oh, I just have to see him!" Hiko and Kenshin both sighed at Chi-Mae's energy. "He was such a respectable young man. Madox used to hate him, but he always knew how to treat women." Kenshin picked up an apple from Hiko's plate and he threw it gently at her hip. She turned to give him an arched eyebrow.

"Mom, be on my side?" his pleading smile made her heart melt as she hugged him and kissed his forehead.

"You'll get the girl if you really want her. First, get to know her. Then... everything else will fall into place."

"You sure?"

"That's how I married Hiko, dear. I'm _**positive**_." Kenshin gave a groan.

"If that's how you married Hiko, I don't know if I wanna use your way—ouch!"

"I'll throw the watermelon next." Hiko growled as Kenshin held his head and glared at a cantelope rolling on the table.

"Now, listen to your mother and shut up."

* * *

"Kaoru! Kaoru, oh my god that's the hottest move i've ever seen! Where'd you pick that up?!"

"I just made it up!"

"Do it again!"

Kaname groaned in pain while Seth bust out laughing and watched Kaoru smile and tie her hair up into a sloppy bun. Her laptop was hooked up to his speakers and as Enishi bounced around their 'party room' (Kaoru took it over), the married couple listened to the loud party music and watched the two dance around in shorts and their matching t-shirts. Enishi laughed as he spun around on the wooden floor and Kaoru narrowed her eyes as she got her 'game face' on.

"Check me out." she said in a serious tone. "Imma kill it."

Seth laughed again and as Kaoru began to break-dance, she dropped back onto her hands and jumped back up to her feet before flipping onto her hands and making a diamond with her legs. Seth clapped as Enishi whistled. She took a bow after she was on her feet, but she barely had time to soak in the glory as a rock song blasted through and the two went nuts. Seth watched her throw her rock sing up and as she bounced and danced, Enishi screamed out in joy and the two laughed and hugged.

"They're weird." he chuckled to Kaname. "It's rad."

"Turn the music off and go clean your room." Kaoru's mother ordered. Kaoru stopped the song with a pout and as her mother shoved her finger towards the door, she asked to clean it later.

"Kaoru, I want it clean **now**. You trashed everything I gave you to _keep _the room clean, so now you go and make it spotless. I want the bed made, your new clothes packed away, and your shoes clean and lined up nicely."

"Okay... Mom, I have three questions."

"Shoot." Seth agreed. Kaname shot him a glare as Kaoru leaned against the wall and held up one finger.

"One. Why make the bed if you're just going to get back in it?"

"Amen." Enishi and Seth said with one hand raised to the air. Kaoru raised another finger.

"Two, why should I put the clothes up if in the morning i'm just going to move them around some more?"

"Good point." Seth 'hmm'ed to Enishi as he rubbed on his chin and nodded.

"Three, why clean shoes when they're _supposed _to be dirty? That's what walking does to them."

"All three are good points." Enishi pointed out with Seth. "I'd have to take her side for this one."

Kaname gave them a loud sigh of defeat and as she threw her hands in the air, she stalked out the room. Kaoru flipped her hair over her shoulder and she gave her mother a sexy smile as she waved.

"See ya later, dear... Now that she's gone..." Kaoru let out a loud sigh and dropped in-between the two men sitting on the couch. Seth looked down at her and both he and Enishi shared a comforting grin at the exhausted look on her face.

"What's on the agenda for today, boys? I say we take Enishi on the town, but mom might have a problem with the way I do it."

"Take him to Fayerville. It's exciting there."

Kaoru gave Seth a knowing smile. "I think I shall! Then, we can walk the streets and plan the things we need for our party."

Both Enishi and Seth had to arch their eyebrows as the younger girl bounced up to her feet and punched her fist through the air. She skipped from the room with her laptop under her arm and the two males continued to sit there and watch where she was last seen. Seth was first to break the silence.

"Soo... apples or oranges?"

* * *

_It's a shame when you know when you know this_

_When you roll your eyes back in your head..._

Usually at three-thirty in the afternoon on Saturdays, Aoshi Shinomori was cracking jokes and laughing his heart out with Kenshin Himura. Usually, they were causing mayhem in Fayerville skate-parks and torturing the freshman by making them move so they could be stupid and laugh at the other skater's misfortunes. But, today... today was different. Kaoru's Ipod blared inside the car and the two had leaned their seats back to listen to the music she had inside. The high school parking lot was empty, so it was a perfect spot to just park up and get away from the world. **Number One Gun's **_**The Best of You And Me **_cooled their nerves and even though there was no real specific order to the songs, the playlist **My Soft Spots **was understood and felt. Both violet and ice blue eyes were shut in their own separate thoughts and as the song switched to another song by **Number One Gun **called_**I'll Find You**_, he pulled his ponytail over his shoulder and he turned on his side and stared out the window. Clouds drifted across the sky and as Aoshi stared up through the sun-roof, he lost himself to the fullest and he zoned.

'_I can feel my heart beating...' _they both thought. _'It's... god, it feels good.'_

Kenshin's head spiraled out of control and as Aoshi turned the song back on, he turned to face him and he called his name out. Aoshi barely heard him, but he saw his lips move so he glanced over with an arched eyebrow. He could easily notice Kenshin's helpless expression and he shifted a little bit before putting his hand to his ear.

"Aoshi..."

"What's up."

"I... Aoshi, I like her."

Aoshi smirked at Kenshin's response and he put his hands together for four simple claps. Kenshin smiled softly at the Punk King minor applause.

"What makes you suddenly know this?"

"Every song i've listened to reminds me of her facial expressions and the way she acts. Like, this song? It really reminds me of what happened at the Prep Tree and in the gym that day. She's so... _**unique**_, Aoshi. I swear on my life I have never met a girl like her. She lives everyday like she owns the world and she's not afraid to show what she can do."

Aoshi nodded to Kenshin as the red-head blew his bangs from his eyes. "I swear it's... the other day, when you guys came to the restaurant and I saw Kaoru for the first time, I forgot where I was. I put my hand on the window to touch hers and I swear I felt heat start to surge through my hand. Tomoe, she kissed me and whatever, but... it feels dead. Like, she senses danger or something from Kaoru."

"She's losing her fame." Aoshi chuckled. "It's hard when you've been so popular and then suddenly you begin to loose your fame. Just like you."

Kenshin looked confused. "Me? How am I losing it?"

Violet hues blinked curiously as Aoshi sat up and he looked over at him. "You probably haven't noticed, but people haven't talked about you for days. Since she showed up, it's like you've been pushed behind the limelight... Anyways, so you've admitted to me you like her."

"Yeah. Help me out?"

"No can do."

"Why the hell not?!" Kenshin asked in shock. "I helped you go out with Misao! Can't you at least give me a hand?"

"I can't." Aoshi shrugged. "This is something that you both have to figure out. You two are mixing groups, ya know? If you were with us, i'd do it in a heartbeat. But, I can't meddle in this. I could loose my spot. Plus... I want to see how this plays out?"

"What do you mean?" Kenshin arched his eyebrow.

"Just as I said." the punk responded with a cocky smirk. "If i'm right about this, we'll have a crazy ass year because of you two. Anyways, i'm not going to tell you or help you. If you dated Tomoe yourself, you can do this one. I know you can. Now, can we get out of here? I wanna push the freshman off the ramps."

"Sure." Kenshin said with a smile before they shifted their seats and he started the car back up. Kenshin did a quick turn out the parking lot and as he headed towards the town over, Aoshi pulled out his cell phone and he began to text. Kenshin glanced over for a split second, but he didn't bother to ask since he would never get an answer. Pale fingers slid across the keypad for a few more moments before he read it once over.

'**Kao, we gotta talk l8a. Sum thingz u shud kno 4 ur fight**' He sent it quickly and he shoved his phone into his pocket before he rubbed his hands together and glanced at the full skate park.

"Let's fuck these kids up." Kenshin laughed and nodded before he parked up. Aoshi quickly went into the trunk and once he grabbed their plastic bats and masks, the two headed inside.

'_I have to do it myself.' _he thought as they jumped the gate and slid their masks on._ 'Chemistry is already there, so it shouldn't be too hard... right?'_

He doesn't realize how wrong he is. That he's going to break every code he can think of. That she's going to change his heart. Poor Kenshin doesn't realize that this love is the kind that will make him or break him. _It's all up to his courage._

_You're not alone_

_There is more to this I know_

_You can make it out_

_You will live to tell_

* * *

**R.S.:** Finally finished. . Didn't really like writing this too much, but oh well. I'm trying. Piece used at the end if from _You're not Alone_ by **Saosin**. Anyways, next chapter kaoru's going to learn the rules and things really start to begin. Hope you're ready for it.

-**_Rampaging Sorrow_**


	9. House Situations with a Night Out

**R.S.:** Hello everybody! ^_^. I hope we're all doing well. I'm alive lolz senior year is taking up so much time!!!! I'm so, ugh!

And just getting back from Africa didn't make it any easier lol now i'm catching up. But, ah well. It's all with the lifestyle i'm livin lolz.

Anyhow, here's Chapter 7. Read and Enjoy!!! Slight EnishixKaoru in the beginning, but remember they're best friends. Nothing more. (bows)

* * *

_Die away with me_

_You've got just what I need_

_Will you be my rocket?_

-**Rocket by**_** Mae**_

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_

_**By: Rampaging Sorrow**_

_**Chapter Seven: House Situations**_

_**&**_

_**A night out

* * *

  
**_

_His heart radiates through his chest_

_Emotions wore right on his sleeves_

_There's nothing he can hide, nothing he can deny_

_Everything is presented to the world on a silver platter_

_Oh my love... my dear sweet love..._

_Why can't I be everything you need?_

Euphoria. It was the best word... hell, the **only **word that could be used to describe Kaoru's state at the moment. Warm fingers ran through her hair and pulled away gently at the base of her neck. Her slender arms wrapped around a strong stomach and as she tangled her legs in his, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. She felt safe and content in this embrace and as she opened her eyes and stared at the space where his heart was to be, she smiled. Soft music played (acoustics, gentle rock, singers with piano,) and darkened blue eyes didn't bother to care about anything else at the moment. The curtains were pulled together so the room was darkened and as she shut her eyes once more, another kiss was pressed to her forehead.

"Enishi... you really think you're gonna move back?"

"I'll do it for you. It was just us two back in Windserdruff and now i'm really lonely. I made some new friends, but they're not the same. They can't be us. They can't do what we do. They want too much attachment... too much things that they know they won't ever give back. With you, we're equal... Besides."

"... Besides what?" Kaoru asked in confusion. Enishi made her look up at him and he pressed his forehead against hers with a deep chuckle. Kaoru, who was used to the closeness, only arched her eyebrow and demanded an answer.

"Besides," Enishi said dragging the word out. "... Who can make-out with their best friend and get away with it like us?"

Kaoru listened to his laughter for a few moments before she rolled her eyes and let them slip shut. It was then that Enishi surprised her. Her eyes opened slightly as she felt lips pressed against hers, but with his fingers still running through her hair, she melted completely into her best friend's advance on her mouth. A familiar feeling of warmth slid through Kaoru's veins and she couldn't help but sigh in content. Her hands mischievously moved to his hips and then dragged back upwards under his shirt as they switched to open-mouth kisses.

This was the usual between Kaoru Kamiya and Enishi Yukishirou. No strings attached, no deeper feelings afterward. It had been settled and for the two of them, they doubted it would change. Routine becomes apart of people's lives, you know. It's hard to break.

They never heard the knock on the door from downstairs and Kaoru giggled as Enishi gave her stomach a slight pinch. A curious hand slid up her shirt to her breast and as she gasped at his boldness, the emo duo never heard footsteps slowly moving up the steps and wondering why it was so dark. Kaoru pulled his shirt gently to run her fingers against his abs and as Enishi moved through her hair once more, they never heard the 'hmmm' and the cell phone snap open.

"Where's the light..."

Kaoru smirked softly as Enishi shuddered and as they both sighed through their nose, they were too wrapped up in each other to realize that the light had finally turned on and Seth sighed with a smile and a hand on his hips. His eyes glanced towards the bed and as he saw Enishi's wide frame blocking Kaoru's, he sighed.

'_Aww, they're sleeping_.' was his first thought, but as he saw Enishi's body move forward slightly and Kaoru's hands slide up into his hair, he gasped as everything came to focus in his mind.

"**OH MY GOD; ARE YOU SHITTING ME?!**"

Kaoru gasped as she pulled away and she saw up with wide eyes as she saw Seth standing with his mouth opened in shock. Enishi looked over his shoulder with the same expression as Kaoru. Now, truthfully Enishi couldn't care less. But, the way Kaoru—who usually didn't care—looked shocked, he figured something was wrong. Her flushed face turned a shade darker as she pulled her hair onto her back and she put her hands together.

"Um... Seth, hey. What a surprise to, um, see you here... in my room..."

"What the _hell _is_**this?!**_"

She twiddled her thumbs as she sucked on her slightly swollen bottom lip. Enishi looked at her with amusement. "It's practice... for a play!"

"BULL." he spat harsher than he meant to. He saw Kaoru arch her eyebrow in surprise before he sighed and pulled Enishi from the bed.

"_Please _don't tell me you two are lovers." The two glanced at each other before they burst out laughing

"Hell no!" Kaoru exclaimed, immediately dismissing his questions. "We're really just best friends."

Seth groaned before sliding a hand down his face. Kaoru asked him what the problem was and then he showed the heated blush that crossed his features. "Y-you two aren't... ya know what kids do these days... those friends who... you know... f-fu—"

"**No!**" they both said in pure shock. Kaoru blushed as Enishi tugged at his collar in embarrassment Seth sighed in relief as Kaoru rubbed a hand behind her head.

"I'm a virgin, Seth. I don't know about Enishi there, but I am. This is just what we do sometimes. Best friends can do this without attachments, ne?"

"Y-yes. They can. But, not in this house. Take that in the garage or something." he sighed. "You guys are going to get me in so much trouble for not telling on you both. Please don't let me catch this again, understand me?"

"Crystal clear, Seth." they both said with salutes. Seth gave them another stern glare, but his mood completely changed as he smiled and he clapped his hands together.

"Now that this was settled, come down for dinner! (^_^) We're having Thai tonight and your friend Misao's coming over to help cook and hang out."

"Sounds good to me!" Enishi cheered and he jumped up from the bed before moving towards the bottom floors. A tune was being hummed on his lips and as he was soon not heard, Kaoru walked over to Seth and hugged him around his waist. Her face still had a red tint from embarrassment

"Thanks." she said softly.

"For what?"

"For being like my dad." Kaoru replied happily. "You make this feel like home."

"This is your home, Kaoru." Seth scolded. "Even when you leave, you're always welcome here." He gave her a strong hug that made her laugh before Kaoru turned off her music and the two headed towards the kitchen.

"You ever have a friend like that?"

"Hell yeah. Almost married her too. Thank god I found out she was arrested for grand arson."

The whole house could hear her hysterical laughter.

* * *

"Misao, how do you know how to cook again?"

"My grandfather owns a restaurant in Japan and when I go to visit him in the summer, I work there and cook to buy my clothes. Japan's style is awesome, Kao."

"I know; i've been there a few times myself in the past four years with daddy to visit his mother. So boring, ya know? She's always like _"Kaoru! K__oucha o tsukuru koto o manabi ni, okonatte kudasai! Kore ha gomi no you na aji ga shi masu! Anata ha jibu_**_n_**_ o uetani to yobi masu ?! Anata ha mada kekko_**_n_**_ sa re sae shimase_**_n_**_! Soshite anata ha kuni o sukuu tame ni nuudoru o tsukuru koto ga dekimase_**_n_**_! Watashi no musuko ha kore no you de aru tame ni kesshite shoujo o sodate mase_**_n_**_!_(Kaoru! Go learn to make tea! This tastes like water! You call yourself a Kamiya?! You're not even married yet! And you can't make noodles to save the country! My son would never raise a girl to be like this!)"

Misao burst out laughing as Kaoru stood next to her chopping vegetables for soup and mocking her elder in the worst voice she could think off. Enishi sat down at the table laughing as well and once they settled down, Misao turned to Kaoru and gave a sly smile.

"What do you tell her?" she couldn't get it out without giggling.

"Me? I curse the woman out. We fight all the time. I remember one time she was telling me some other stuff and I was like '_Kutabare_. _Boku no shiri ni kisu siro_. '"

Enishi spit out his water in shock and as Misao cried out with laughter, he gasped in surprise. "You said 'fuck you' to your grandmother and told her to kiss your ass?! Are you nuts?!"

"Hell yeah." Kaoru replied with a nod. "She called me an american born bitch. I had to give her back something worse, ya know? Shut her up for the whole day. I mean, sure I got punished, but it's the **satisfaction** you feel from telling somebody something like that. (sigh) Brings a tear to my eye."

"That's still horrible." Misao laughed as she cut the sides of the chicken breast and she went back to making dumplings.

"Ore no shitta koto ja nai (I don't give a damn). She has what's coming to her. Never liked me once. Chikushome (Son of a bitch)."

"Kaoru, what big anger problems you have!" Misao said in a 'little red riding hood' of awe. The Kamiya gave a mischievous grin.

"Why, the better to blow up the school with, my dear."

The trio bust out laughing and soon a comfortable silenced consumed them as they focused on their cooking. Enishi quickly grabbed paper and a pen before he jotted down every thought that was coming into his mind and began to circle and connect each of the thoughts he figured fit together for him. Seth had popped his head into the kitchen, but his mouth was silent as he saw the three teens calm and performing their tasks.

'_Kaoru's got some good friends already. They'll be kind to her.'_

"Dinner'll be ready soon." Misao suddenly said without looking at him. "It should be good."

"... Right." Seth said with a soft laugh. "I'll fix the table."

Drumming from the table filled the girls' ears and they grinned to the bored Yukishirou as he used the glass bowl and the wood to make a good effect. Misao put everything on low heat before she collapsed into a chair and she watched Kaoru sit down gracefully next to her.

"Prissy bitch." she joked. Kaoru faked shock before the two laughed and she flashed her finger.

"I'm going outside to call my dad and his wife. Mom said to tell em' i'm in town or something."

"You sure?" Kaoru asked as Enishi got up and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "You could just wait, you know."

"I know, I know. But, might as well hear it now. They're probably going to hate that I want to move back here and they'll get even madder that i'm staying with you. _**Sigh. **_Only for you, best friend, do I do these things to myself."

"I wuv you too." Enishi gave her a soft smile before moving through the kitchen to step outside of the house. Light blue and blue-green eyes watched his body move smoothly the whole way before a door was slid shut and Misao flipped like an on switch.

"You ready for me to tell you the rules about being a prep?" Kaoru arched her eyebrow to Misao leaning over the table with a smile. "Well? Don't you wanna know how to win that boy's heart?"

"First, i'm not doing any of those bullshit rules to win Kenshin's heart." Misao was confused at the suddenly angry teen drawing pictures around Enishi's words. "I'd rather date my hand."

"... Oh! _**You're**_ not doing rules," she laughed. "He's _**breaking**_ them."

"Breaking?" Now this caught her attention. "How... how does he break them? I thought he's a hardcore elite."

"He is." Her eyes pierced straight through Kaoru's as she gave a sexy grin. "But, we've seen this happen before a few years go when we were in middle school. Had Kenshin's brother outraged because his girlfriend broke all the rules and switched sides even just to be with this guy that _made her heart race. _They're still together right now, in college. When you break rules, you prove how much you really want to be with somebody. It makes you just **know **that it's genuine."

Silence hung in the air; Misao's comforting smile pulling Kaoru deeper into curiosity. Her thoughts ran wild and to calm everything down, she shut her eyes and held her bangs from her face.

A few minutes ticked by before Kaoru lowered her hand and Misao gave a smile.

"Let's hear the rules Kenshin's going to shatter. Should be interesting."

* * *

"**Kenshin Himura; goddammit! Turn that music off THIS INSTANT! Jesus Christ; I want an HOUR of peace!**"

"Hiko, please. The girls are watching you."

"**KENSHIN HIMURA, BOY IF I CAN'T GET THAT DOOR OPEN I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE WHEN YOU SHOWER TONIGHT!**"

Red locks swished violently and limbs moved and danced for nobody in particular. The lyrics made a note to imprint some parts deep in his head each time a song played and brought his excitement to new levels. As the song was changing itself, he heard the loud banging on the door and couldn't help but arch his eyebrow in confusion.

"**KENSHIN HIMURA!!**"

"... Hiko, what the hell's wrong with you?" With two quick strides, the door was open and Kenshin cried out in shock as he was yanked over the threshold. From there, Hiko proceeded to drop him onto his back, shake him and attempt to strangle him.

"You think you're funny?! I missed my show because of you!!!"

"**M-MOMMY**!" Kenshin screamed. "**He's molesting me!**"

It seemed like that was the magic word for Chi-Mae. Hiko never even knew she had come up the steps and as Kenshin kicked at the man above him, she pulled him off of her son with brute strength and swatted at him with a bamboo stick.

"You keep your hands off my son, you monster!" Hiko grabbed the stick with a swift hand and he yanked her down into the fight growling 'foolish woman.' Kenshin continued to kick and cry out for help and the fight soon turned into a full-family rumble as the girls rushed from the kitchen to see what the commotion was about. The noise of high pitch screams and deep grunts soon turned into something the whole family enjoyed. Laughter. They let each other go and Kenshin couldn't help but look over at Hiko as he held his daughters close to him and let them continue to tickle his stomach. Chi-Mae leaned against the wall, her hair now a messy ponytail over her shoulder, and she grabbed Kenshin before pulling him to his feet.

"Up, pretty ladies." Hiko breathed happily as he rose to his feet as well and then knelt down.

"You guys get burned by the carpet?" he asked gently to the two smiling brunettes. He proceeded to do a full scan and as Chi-Mae laughed at him, she caught Kenshin's sudden look of longing at the way he kissed their skin tenderly and attempted to straighten their ruffled hair. His eyes began to slip into a deep blue-purple, his whole frame of mind slowly zoned out. He barely acknowledged his mother's arms wrapping around his shoulder and pulling him into his embrace.

"What happened to him?" Hiko asked as Chi-Mae whispered in his ear that it would be alright. She shook her head gently and Kenshin's dull eyes just continued to make him zone out deeper into nothingness. Even while she finally hid his face, he forgot what he was doing and where he was.

"I'm sorry." Hiko mouthed to Chi-Mae as he pushed the girls away.

"It's alright. This doesn't usually happen." Kenshin's arms moved to hug her and as she whispered that he was okay, he could only nod and agree.

"You're going to be alright."

"You're right." he agreed in a dull voice.

"We don't need him anymore."

"We don't."

"He didn't love us."

"He didn't... But, why?"

Chi-Mae kissed red locks tenderly. "I don't know."

"I wanna know."his voice grew harsher and she whispered 'sssh' to him as she ran one of her hands though his hair. The younger Himura's voice grew helpless as she began to hum softly.

"I wanna know."

* * *

"Okay, so basically you've heard the first three rules. Simple and boring. What are the rules?"

".. What?"

"Kaoru, come on! This is to help you."

Kaoru smiled in apology and she scratched her head with an innocent gesture. Misao's glare burned intensely before she sighed and flashed a cheerful grin.

"Have you been listening to me?"

"Yeah, I was listening to you."

"Then what were the rules." Misao coolly stated as she leaned back in her chair and arched an eyebrow. '_She was spaced out through the whole damn thing.'_

"Rule one: Preps must always have color. Rule two: Preps must always stick together. Rule three: Preps must set an example to the lower people. By the way, what kind of bullshit is that?"

"What, the lower people?" Kaoru gave a nod as she took a sip of her lemonade. Misao could only shrug and this made Kaoru suck her teeth.

"They're such conceited assholes. That really irks me."

"It's what they'll always be... God, look at the time! I have to run home or else i'll be grounded again." Misao sucked her teeth as she rose up and she dusted off her jeans. Kaoru playfully frowned as Misao began to scold her and point.

"Messing around with you made me completely forget what I came to do. I can see now that if we're partners for a project in the future we'll be doing last minute work."

"_**laughs **_It's what i'm good for, though." Misao tried to give her a glare, but it ended up flopping completely as the two bust out laughing and shaking their heads. Kaoru politely showed her to the front door and as Misao pulled on her hoodie and zipped it up, she pulled out Kaoru's arm and began to write a in blue ink. Kaoru saw that it was a website and arched her eyebrow.

"You go here and read the rules. Once you read them all, I know that you'll be bale to figure out what rules Kenshin'll break. Hell, he just might break every single one. Tell Enishi I said goodnight, okay?"

"Sure. Drive safe." with a loving hug, Misao skipped down the walkway and unlocked her car.

"Text me if anything!!"

Kaoru laughed at her excited expression and she nodded. "I'll be sure to do so!" Another few moments later and Misao was off down the street blasting loud techno sounds for the whole neighborhood to hear. Kaoru locked the door and she bounced all the way up stairs and down to her doorway. Seth chuckled as he watched her from his door hold his feet together and take as big of a leap as she could. The smile on her face was priceless.

"Silly rabbit."

"Trix are for kids!" she replied happily. Hearty laughter was her response as she opened her door and flew up the steps.

"Enishi, dear!" she happily called. "There's some party going on in this town next door tomo—hey, what's the matter?"

Her blue eyes were instantly filled with concern as she saw her best friend sitting at her table with his head in his arms. She could tell he wasn't crying, but the vibes she got from him were clearly emotional.

"I got in contact with my dad."

"... Shouldn't that have been good?"

"Yeah." he replied in a sigh. "But it wasn't. You know Tomoe's living with daddy, right?"

Kaoru nodded as she sat down on her bed and Enishi rubbed his forearms as he spun the chair around to face her. Stress and frustration was clearly evident in his bright colored eyes and as she motioned for him to start. He gave a long, dramatic sigh.

"She went home today and she told him that I was in town and that I wasn't even going to call. You know I always call my father when I come to see him, so that was just ridiculous. But, then she goes on to say shit like '_Daddy, Enishi doesn't even like us anymore. He came to town to spend time with his little girlfriend from where he stays at. Mommy's got him __brainwashed because he acts like he doesn't care about us. How many times do you call him and he never answers?' _"

"She said all this while you were talking to him?"

"Yup. She has some nerve, but she did it. And his wife doesn't like me either, so I asked him if I could come spend the night tomorrow so we could catch up."

"And he said no." Kaoru frowned at the way Enishi sadly nodded and kicked his feet up.

"I mean, come on. Do I look like i'd care if I start noise in that house?" Kaoru sighed with him and as he glanced over at her, he pointed at her like he was choosing her for the army.

"You," he began with a deep and stern voice, "are you going to fight for me when it comes to her. Whenever you see her come to me in the hallways or whatever, you're going to have to be by my side to bite her ass when she gets out of line."

Kaoru stated to laugh, but once she saw how serious she was, she arched her eyebrow. "You're serious."

"I swear to god, Kaoru. You do whatever you want to her."

"Fine with me." she replied with a shrug. "Long as your father doesn't come back to sue me or anything. Lord knows i've had one of those problems back in _**The**__**Druff**__._"

Enishi laughed and as he jumped to his feet, he grinned. "Let's see these prep rules that you got on your arm."

Kaoru arched her eyebrow and as she looked down in confusion, she bust out laughing as Enishi sighed and flung a plush pillow that was at his feet. "You're retarded, Kaoru."

She didn't respond and as she continued to laugh, he couldn't help but smile and tackle her so they could laugh together.

'_Man, I could get use to having a roommate.'_

"... Kaoru, we haven't even looked at the rules yet. Are we gonna do this or not?"

"..._**laughs **_I lost all interest because i'm watching the hippo on your cell phone dance."

Enishi sighed in annoyance and he pushed Kaoru's face sideways as she continued to laugh and hold her stomach. Ever since he had asked to read the rules and she started to laugh, they never even opened up the website. Enishi grabbed her arm, wrote it down on a notepad, and rose from his seat to grab a book bag.

"Where are you going?" she asked in between giggles.

"My father's of course. He can't stop me from showing up."

"Enishi, are you sure?" her laughter immediately stopped to show her concern. He grinned and nodded before he spun around a set of keys.

"I still have my old keys to the house. And knowing him, he still hasn't changed them. Besides, my old window still can't lock properly so i'll climb up inside if anything. See you in the morning for breakfast?"

"Sure." he leaned down and as she embraced him in a hug, he pressed a tender kiss to her cheek. She smiled as he saluted and with a spin of his car keys, he was off down the steps.

"And look at those rules, okay? I'll look them up too so we can plan how to destroy them from the inside."

"Like back in _**The Druff?"**_

Enishi had to grin at Kaoru's laughter. "Just like that."

Kaoru shook her head as he shut her door and once she heard his car going down the driveway, she leaped onto her bed and she picked up her cellphone. Her body twisted in a numerous number positions and even as she dialed the number that she had wanted to call since the night before, she had to find the "perfect position". The line picked up just as she was getting ready to drop all her weight.

"{_... __**chuckles **__What are you doing, Kaoru?_}"

"One second." she said calmly and she put the phone down to scream at her pillow and fix it again. Laughter could clearly be heard over the other line, but she didn't mind it as she laid her body down again and laid the phone on her ear. "Hey, Kenshin!"

"{_What were you doing?}_"

"Getting com-for-ta-ble!" a male chuckle was her response and she grinned gently before she heard the phone move. She couldn't see him, but she could tell he was laying down just like she was.

"What's on your mind?" she softly asked to strike a conversation.

"{_Just some things about my father is all. It's a... it's a confusing matter... ... What made you call?_}"

"Well," she began slowly as she examined her nails, "I was thinking about the preps that i'm going to just **destroy** and then after I finished laughing, I thought about you."

"{_Really now?_}" his voice could easily show that he was flirting. Shamelessly, Kaoru flirted back.

"Yes, Kenshina." she could hear him choke back laughter as her voice dropped a few octaves. "I think we should have another date at the club tonight. I can pick you up at ten if you'd like."

"{_That sounds lovely, Kaorun! I'll put on my best make up._}"

Both began to laugh and as Kaoru held her hair from her face, she sighed with him and let out a few more giggles as he said, "we're stupid."

"But, will you seriously go? I think I go at like ten thirty or something in that area."

"{_Yeah. I was going to go tonight anyways. Actually... I was going to call you to pick you up. Isn't that funny how you beat me to it again?_}"

"What can I say? I go for what I really want." she smiled as she knew he was beat, but then Kenshin found his voice and came back.

"{_If you always go for you want then why do I sense you sometimes hold back? People who always go for what they want set out on getting it._}"

Kaoru sat up and she chewed on the inside of her lip innocently. "Well... some things take longer than others."

"{_Can I come pick you up now? I'm in the mood for ice cream and the drive would be nice._}"

"Ask Aoshi my house number and come get me." Kaoru was about to end the call, but Kenshin's stern demand made her stop.

"{_Don't hang up._}" She could hear him move and she could hear the opening of a window as she harassed a spot on her clothing and she sniffed it to make sure it wasn't a stain that was already set in. Then, while she was going to bite at the spot, she gasped as she heard Kenshin screaming.

"{_**AOSHI! AOSHI OPEN THE WINDOW! IT'S YOUR HUSBAND, KENSHIN**_**!**}"

"_**laughs **_Kenshin!"

"{_Oi, Ahou. What the hell do you want?_}" Kaoru cracked a grin at Aoshi's irritated voice.

"{_**What is Seth's address?! I have to go pick up some loser from their front porch!**_}"

"{_Who, Kaoru? And stop yelling, man. We can talk like civil people. You preps always feel the need to express yourselves with loud voices and obnoxious smiles. Laughing like every comment is funny. I can tell in the future you're life is going to be pointless._}"

Kaoru couldn't help but bust out laughing as she heard Kenshin gasp in hurt. "Aoshi rocks worlds, man."

"{_Don't entertain him. What's her address?_}"

"{_Like I know numbers, ahou. Just drive up this street, make a right, the second street you pass make a left, and then continue driving up until you hit a hill. You should see her crazy ass car standing out with the plain color of the house. Now, I have to finish getting dressed to go sniff some coke and pop enough ecstasy to kill a horse._}"

Both teens gasped in shock and as Kaoru said "You're a druggie?!", he laughed and said, "{_kidding. Just some fun with Misao. Goodnight, Kaoru and Kenshin... damn._}"

"{_What?_}"

"{_That had a hot ring to it... Nice blush, Kenshin. Laters._}"

Kaoru couldn't help but 'awww' as she heard Kenshin stammer to correct his neighbor. "You blush? That's so cute. Now, before you start to declare to me how you're a man and men don't blush, i'm going to get dressed. Twenty minutes, kay?"

He didn't have a chance to respond and as she stepped up to her closet, she began to grab different colors that went together and a pair of shoes. A soft sigh slipped out from her mouth before she began to strip in the moonlight and grab accessories.

'_This is going to be so much fun._'

* * *

"Wow, her house is HUGE."

Kenshin looked outside his windshield and as he gave a low whistle, he turned his lights out and he parked his car up in the driveway. He glanced down at himself and once he found that he looked good enough, he stepped outside the car and put the phone to his ear. Black jeans and a white shirt with designs on it covered his body with his everyday jewelery and some decent white sneakers on his feet. A once over in the window made him nod to himself again.

"{_You're outside?_}"

"Yup. Let's go, princess." she laughed softly and hung up the phone before Kenshin got ready to shove the phone into his pocket. Another ring made him bring the phone up to his eyes and he groaned before running a hand down his face.

**Tomoe Y.**

"God, why does she keep calling me this way—Hello?"

"{_You wanna hang out with all of us tonight?! We're at some party three towns over and it'd be awesome if you came to dance with us!_}"

"Can't make it. You have to say this stuff in the daytime, Tomoe." He didn't see Kaoru quietly slip out the house and lock the door softly behind her.

"I can't do it, Tomoe. I already have plans with somebody else okay?" the black-haired girl could hear complaining over the line as she snuck up behind him and she quickly pulled the phone from his fingers. He turned to her in shock and as she ended the call, he pressed a hand over his heart as he sighed.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack, freak."

"I'm a freak, but... I think I just saved you from another five minutes of noise. Let's hear it..." Kaoru put a hand to her ear and as she leaned forward and waved it a little, the red-head smiled and he gave a dramatic groan.

"_**sigh**_ Thank you, savior."

"You're welcome, my boy. Now, let's get out of here."

Kenshin looked at her outfit and he suddenly found himself staring at the beauty in front of him. Her top was a two strap dark blue and pink tank with bright purple shooting stars and a slight cut into her cleavage. Pink and purple short shorts had dark blue dots on it, her legs covered by dark blue tights. She finished up her outfit perfectly by wearing pink converses and matching accessories on her neck, her wrist, and on three of her fingers. Her eyes were dark blue, but he couldn't wait to get her into the light and make them stand out like he loved them to. He met her eyes again and as she just continued to smile with a knowing smile, he blushed and he threw a hand behind his head in embarrassment. It took him a few tries before he got out a clear sentence.

"Your hair looks awesome over your shoulder like that."

"Thanks. You look handsome yourself. Open the door will you?"

"... Right." he opened the door and after Kaoru picked up the case from her feet, he finally saw that she had a guitar.

"You're playing music tonight?"

"Yup. I asked them and they gave me the okay."

"... that's cool."

Kaoru could feel Kenshin freezing up and as she laughed, he shut her door and slid over the top of the car to his side. Once he started the car up, Kaoru buckled up and she immediately went to harassing her Ipod that was connected to the radio. "I'm happy you brought it." Kenshin smiled softly and once he turned his lights on, she picked a playlist and put it back in its rest. The car began to move quietly down the street... that is until Kaoru blasted the music.

Kenshin gasped and turned it down as she had begun to laugh. "Kaoru! People are asleep!"

"Live a little, my boy! You never wanted to do that once at night in your life? You're lying if you say no."

After a few more minutes of coaxing, the music was back up loud and they were ripping through the streets with Kaoru singing to the songs that played. Kenshin sang the chorus if he knew it and soon, both their voices echoed through the car in a comfortable balance that they liked. Kenshin turned the music down as he approached their destination and then Kaoru smiled as parked the car up and made sure to make her stay seated.

'_He's a gentleman._' Her smile made his chest warm up a little and once she got out the car, the two walked up to the window and they looked at everything on the menu. Kenshin whistled gently as he held his hands in his pockets and seconds later he couldn't help but rock on his feet. Kaoru barely paid attention as she stared at the menu and once he caught her lips begin to smile softly at her inner thoughts, his mind moved in gears. An old poem of want came to mind.

_It's amazing how I feel when I'm around you,_

_How my heart pounds when you come into a room._

_I look at you and think: My God! How lovely!_

_And everything I am bursts into bloom._

_I feel as though you must, you must be mine,_

_Not as a possession but a goal,_

_Something almost unimaginable_

_the free devotion of another soul_

His lips curled into a smile as she turned to him and put her hands together. "Can I guess what you might want?" For this he had to arch his brow.

"You want to guess what I want." she nodded with a cute grin. "To see if I know about you a little."

Kenshin nodded eagerly to the idea. "You guess mine and i'll guess yours, okay? We'll order for each other." She beamed at his enthusiasm and he knocked on the window as she crossed her arms gently and she held her elbows waiting. Her feet began to rock back and forth like Kenshin's from earlier and once Kenshin gave a different knocking pattern, the window opened and Kaoru's face showed her small shock.

"No party tonight, Soujirou?"

"No party tonight, Kenshin. I want some peace. Hate driving drunks home." The blue-eyed boy shined with happiness and as he looked at Kenshin, he couldn't help but narrow at the two before him.

"You two are here together?"

"Yeah." Kaoru said with a smile as she hugged herself tightly from the sudden breeze. Kenshin became uncomfortable at the boy's sudden hard gaze in the way he glanced at him, smile never fading. But, he didn't know Kaoru was a good liar.

"I just walked and he drove here because we're going to do something for English later on tonight. Kind of like an extra credit project. Ice cream is a good way to start anything, ya know?"

Kenshin nodded to agree and he smiled in thanks at her quick responses. The boy in the window merely tugged on his pink and white striped uniform shirt. Leaning against the wood near the window, he looked back up from a small stain and he gave a dazzling grin after shaking the hair from his eyes.

"Welcome to Norelly's Delights. May I take your request?" Kenshin motioned for Kaoru to start and she looked up again at the menu before she gave him a smile.

"I want a double scoop of mint chocolate chip with hot fudge." she glanced over to him to see his approving grin. '_Damn, i'm good at this.'_

"And you, Kenshin?"

Kenshin put his finger to his lip as he made his last decision. "I'll take a double scoop of..." his eyes glanced back and forth quickly before he slowly broke into a smile. "Rainbow for one side and Vanilla for the other. With sprinkles on vanilla and whip cream on the rainbow."

"Coming right up." Soujirou cheerfully replied and he vanished from the window. Once he was out of sight, Kenshin turned to face his partner for the night.

"Did I guess correct?"

"Perfectly." she said happily. Then, she gave him a nervous glance. "What about me?"

"Right on the money." Her eyes shut in a sigh and the two high five each other with a laugh before Soujiro returned and he placed both bowls out of the sliding window. Both teens were ready to pull out their wallets.

"That'll be a dollar." they froze at the price and looked at him with 'huh?' expressions. He shrugged with a smile. "It's a slow night. Sale on the house."

Kenshin put a dollar in before Soujirou thanked them and let them begin the walk back to Kenshin's car. Kaoru said her thanks softly for the ice cream and once he opened the door for her, he got in on his side and turned on the music. Kaoru flipped her hair from the frozen delight and she shifted her legs to face him.

"How did you know that I wanted those flavors? I'm dying to figure it out." Kenshin removed the spoon from his mouth and he blinked a few times before he shifted the same way she was facing and he stirred his treat.

"Well," he began, "I chose rainbow because rainbow ice cream is creative. It's all sorts of different flavors and colors brought together to make a delightful taste in your mouth with every single spoonful. You'll never be dissatisfied." he cleared his throat as she nodded and took another spoonful. The way the vanilla smeared across her lips kept his gaze and her tongue bringing the frozen treat inside made him mentally groan.

"The vanilla is the simple side of you. The side that doesn't want to be just out there, but wants to relax and blend in. To just sit back and watch the world around you take its course. Cool and confident, ya know? The sprinkles are to tell the vanilla _lighten up! _and the whip cream is saying _'relax_'."

Kaoru was silent as he went back to his ice cream. He raised his head up with his spoon hovering and he then gave her an impressed smile. "You balance out pretty well, you know."

"Thanks..."

He didn't know where it came from, but he glanced over at her blank face and he just could _tell _that he had done something to make her uncomfortable. Her eyebrows were furrowed slightly, her lips were in a straight line, and she wouldn't meet his gaze at all. Her spoon gently spun around to occupy her attention and she looked up at him through her bangs before quickly looking back down and biting her tongue.

The silence wasn't because Kenshin had said something wrong. It was actually the complete opposite. He took her favorite flavors and described her personality like she had written it down for him to memorize. It didn't take him long to figure out what took other people months of just hanging out with her or even watching her interact. It bothered Kaoru as she blew her bangs from her eyes and shifted her feet.

"What does my ice cream say about me?" she looked up quickly to see Kenshin giving her a soft smile and an expression that said he hated the silence. "I'm dying to know and you're just being quiet."

'_He's being calm about tonight knowing we can get into trouble... Aoshi must've talked to him.' _Kaoru's lips slowly formed into a smirk and she took another spoonfill before she pointed at him with a clean spoon and narrowed her eyes.

"I think, personally, that your flavor is mint chocolate chip because you have to have one color in your life, so why not have it be a flavor that delights you? Dinner and that other stuff is just necessary colors because we can't turn it black and white. If we did it'd just be rotten or something. You wouldn't choose rainbow because rainbow just has too many colors. Mint chocolate chip is just one solid color that has the dark chocolate chips that are almost close to looking black."

Kenshin was clearly surprised at her good thinking and as he swallowed a chocolate chip he could only say,"I see... what about the fudge?"

"It just tastes good."

Kenshin began to laugh and as Kaoru's grin widened, she couldn't help but love how carefree and easily the laughter came from his mouth.

"You're good at this." he finally said in a chuckle.

"Why, thank you Kenshin." After flashing him a smile meant for royalty, the two continued to eat their ice cream in a now comfortable silence. The music changed to a more mysterious tone and Kaoru sat up with a smile as she gasped and bounced in the seat.

"I wrote the lyrics and played the lead guitar to this!"

"One of Enishi's songs?" he asked curiously as she started the song over.

"Yeah, but Enishi didn't sing this. He switched with the drummer for some songs." his eyes widened in surprise at her cocky grin, but he turned to listen to the music and the guitar. Kaoru began to nod her head gently and tap her fingers against the dashboard.

"You're really good at these type of songs, you know. And your guitar skills are lethal, too. For a girl, that's different."

"Tell me about it." she giggled while leaning her seat back. "But, you gotta admit that it's awesome. We won battle of the bands four years in a row back home with these guys."

"... That's since seventh grade." Kaoru nodded with a grin before she put her ice cream on the dashboard and she threw her arms behind her head. The action made her seem like one of the guys as she scratched her chin with thought and cleared her throat.

'_She's a real tomboy... the sexiest tomboy i've ever seen, though._' Kaoru let out a quick, yet deep sigh before turning her eyes to Kenshin and then smirking.

"Let's play a game. I tell you my info and you tell me yours. And then after that we can see what compares and ask questions."

"... I'm lost."

Kaoru was tempted to call him stupid, but she settled for giving him a look. "(-_-) You're hopeless sometimes. It's like those myspace profiles. With the survey and stuff."

"... Oh!" he smiled as he understood now what she was saying and she put a hand to her forehead while he laughed at himself. "What am I going to do with you, Mr. Himura?"

"Marry me so I won't be a dumb housewife, Ms. Kamiya." the two bust out laughing at his pleading tone—she wouldn't ever know part of him was serious—and then they sighed before Kaoru opened the sunroof and she pulled her bangs into her fingers.

"I'll go first, Mr. Himura."

"Sounds good to me." Kenshin laid his seat back to stare at the stars out the roof and once he looked over to the black-haired beauty beside him, she started the game.

"My full name is Kaoru Annalise Shinji Kamiya and I was born in Tokyo, Japan. I moved to Windserdruff with my parents when I was one years old. Both my parents were European-Japanese; my father's father was from Sweden and my mother's mother was from Finland."

"Wow." Kenshin said in surprise. "Those are odd pairings. Like, you really don't expect those."

"I know, right?! That's what I said to my dad. Anyways, I'm five foot six, I weight one hundred and thirty pounds, and my shoe size is a five in boys. My favorite hobbies are guitar, music, writing, parties, and sleeping. My best friend is Enishi Yukishirou, my favorite family member is my father and if I could choose a place in the world to go i'd go to Italy because when I went there I fell in love with poetry... Your turn."

Kenshin nodded with a small smile before he stretched his arms up towards the sunroof and took a breath. "My full name," he began with a sigh, "is Kenshin Huan-Zian Himura and I was born in Shenzhen, China."

"Are you serious?" Kaoru asked in surprise. "China? And what does your middle name mean?"

"Yeah, I was born in China. My mother's father is a british guy and my father's mother was Austrailian. Huan-Zian is two words; Huan meaning happiness and Zian meaning self peace. Weird, huh?"

"That's awesome, actually. You're chinese with red hair." the two began to laugh before she told him to continue.

"I'm five foot eight, I weight one hundred and sixty pounds of muscle," he flexed his arm as she began to laugh, " and my shoe size is a seven in boys. My favorite hobbies are music, writing, cooking, parties, and sleeping. My best friend is Aoshi Shinomori, my favorite family member is my mother and if I could choose a place in the world to go i'd go to Austrailia because I want to catch a Kangaroo and ride in its pouch."

Kaoru bust out crying in laughter and as Kenshin shrugged with a smile, he finished his ice cream up and grabbed her empty bowl as well. "I'll throw these away." she nodded as she held her mouth and once he shut his door, she pulled out her phone to text Aoshi.

'**I like him, Aosh. He's lyk an airhead with an artistic touch.**' she slid her phone back into her pocket before the door opened again and she saw him smiling sheepishly at the ice cream mustache.

"I couldn't waste the last of it."

"You're so barbaric." she giggled. "A barbaric china-man with red hair."

* * *

Kaoru's eyes brightened up as she stood in front of _**The Musical Poetry Club**_ and she looked at the bright neon lights blinking above the sign. Kenshin was parking the car and decided to drop her off in the front so she wouldn't have to walk to the door if he was far away. Her guitar case was kept safely on her back and lyrics for songs she had written her in her hands; fingers turning the pages and thinking of which piece to present to the people inside.

'_No... no, not this one... this one's too boring... nah, that's not what I'm looking for..._' her fingers continued to flip back and forth before she smiled and found a song that she thought was perfect for the dark night.

"This should be good."

"What's going to be good?" her fist balled up and just as quick as the response had been given to her, she spun around and swung without looking closely. A gasp and the sound of flesh hitting flesh was heard between the two before Kaoru's narrowed eyes widened in shock. "Oh, my god—Kenshin! I'm sorry!"

Kenshin's palm was held open with wide eyes of surprise as Kaoru's fist still was pressed against it and there was a small sting from the force behind her swing. When he finally said something, it forced him to smile.

"Um... ouch, much?"

The silence was thick until Kaoru's lips began to twitch and they both bust out laughing. It made the situation lighter and as her hand dropped, he bit his lip in a menacing manner as he plucked her forehead.

"Ouch!"

"That's for my hand dearest." he gave her a beautiful smile before moving to the maroon colored door and opening it up for the glaring girl.

"Shall we enter?" his smile never faltered and as she continued to glare, he held a hand out for her to take. Her expression softened at his cute gesture before she gave him a smile and took his hand. "I think we shall."

He bowed and swept his hand gracefully in front of him as he let her enter first. A soft laugh escaped her lips before Kenshin let the door shut behind him and the two walked a few steps to the only bouncer in the whole building. His expression was bored and as he held his hand out, Kenshin and Kaoru both pulled out membership passes with their pictures and information.

"Cleared. Enjoy the night." Kenshin smiled in thanks before they pushed through the next door and was suddenly engulfed in soothing house music. Tables were gone, the bartender was moving quickly back and forth to serve sodas and virgin drinks, and people mingled and danced as the poetry was on a halt. Kaoru lightly swayed her hips to the beat and people looked to the doorway as they could feel the slight breeze from the door opening and closing. Words started up as Kaoru led him towards the wall area to set up.

"Hey, it's the couple who danced last week."

"He's such an amazing poet. I wish he would write me a few verses."

"She's such a beauty..."

Kenshin looked around at the calm atmosphere and he couldn't help but smile as people waved at him and mouthed, 'words?!'. Kaoru watched him shake his head and give some people an apologetic smile as they dramatically sighed and faked tears. He leaned against the wall and after he looked out into the crowd, he crouched down to Kaoru's level. Her concentration on giving her guitar a quick brush off was locked. She barely noticed when Kenshin tapped her shoulder.

"I'm going to get something to drink, you want anything?"

"Water, for now."

Her eyes followed him walking across the room to the bar before she smiled and went back down to pulling her guitar from the case completely. Kenshin heard his name coming from a few different areas and the words 'dance, boy, dance!' being yelled. He was modest as he shook his head 'no', but with a few pleas, he gave in and he started to move to the beat. Kaoru heard the whistles and she looked up curiously before she broke into a happy laugh at Kenshin's calm moves.

"He's such a pleaser."

Her phone vibrated harshly for attention and 'Txt from _**!Aoshi!**_' flashed as she looked at the screen. She opened it up to see if he gave her any help.

'**I told u so. He's different.**' she rolled her eyes at the useless words before she heard the music stop.

"Time to head backstage." she shut her case and picked it up before silently making her way to the backstage. Kenshin, who was busy laughing with the guys on the floor, looked back to her area and saw she was gone. It threw off his train of thought. He spun around in every direction looking for color before he saw her accessories and a bright blue guitar slipping backstage. He made his way to the bar before he pulled his phone from his pocket and he saw that he had two missed calls from home and a text message from Tomoe.

"What's going on tonight, Kenshin?" Amethyst eyes looked up to see Lucius, the bartender, wiping a glass clean and getting ready to fill it up with ginger ale. Kenshin smiled as he did this and he accepted the drink graciously. The first sip brightened his demeanor another ten notches.

"Lucius, you always know what to get me." laughter escaped the man's lips, brown eyes glittering in the humor of it all.

"You've been coming here for years, my boy. I think I know what to get one of my best poets." Kenshin smiled softly before he spun the glass around gently and looked towards the stage.

"Who did you come with tonight?" Lucius curiously asked to capture the red-head's distraced mind. "I saw you coming in with a very pretty girl. Girlfriend?"

"Nope." he sighed. "Just a really, really good friend."

'_That I will make mine._' Lucius arched his eyebrow at Kenshin's mischievous smile and he had to shake his head and laugh before he heard the announcer begin to speak. Hypnotizing beats from the house music slowly faded into silence and soft applause came around from all who enjoyed.

"I'm glad you fine people are enjoying the sounds of The Musical Poetry Club tonight. DJ Chill has turned in for the night and I, DJ Warren, have taken over."

Applause filled the room and Kenshin couldn't help but chuckle at the DJ's deep, yet seductive voice. His smile held the female portion of the room in the palm of his hand as he fixed his headphones and winked to a girl in the crowd. She swooned.

"But, for right now we're going to take a pause and allow three more people to perform some musical pieces. After that, it's the end of the stage, we'll give a few more _seductive_ house beats," his eyes dimmed as he gave another smile, "and the Universal Beatz party begins. Now, our next performer is a guy who loves to hit things, but plays a delicate violin. Interesting, right? Anyways, here's Jeff Conen with his own creation called 'The Life.' "

Kenshin clapped with respect along with the crowd, but even as the sweet violinist played one of the most heartwarming pieces he had ever heard, he was distracted by his excitement for Kaoru. It was her first time performing in the club and he wondered what song would she use to win the crowd over.

'_Whatever it is, it should sound awesome._'

* * *

"And now for the final performance before we switch the segments of the night. This is a new addition to our Musical Poetry Club family. She's just recently moved here from Windserdruff and this girl wants to make a name for herself as quick as she can. Let's give a nice welcome for guitarist and lyricist Kaoru Kamiya."

Kenshin smiled and raised his hands to clap with the crowd as he moved his way to the front to see her. His eyes brightened as she stepped onto the stage with her guitar and gave a sheepish smile to the crowd. Blue orbs were bright with excitement to perform. It grew quieter once more as she walked to her tall bar stool and fixed the microphone stand to her sitting level. Kenshin whistled with a few boys in the crowd and she flashed another sheepish smile before she fixed the microphone to her mouth level and sighed.

"How is everybody doing tonight?" vocal cheers were thrown her way by guys and as some clapped, she laughed softly and strummed a quick note.

"As the DJ told you, my name is Kaoru Kamiya and i'm a guitarist as well as a lyricist for a band called _Filming the Eclipse_. Tonight, though, i'm going to be playing you an acoustic piece that I wrote myself a few months before I moved to Oakley. It's called, _**Feel for you**__, _and was written a few days ago. Hope you enjoy it."

Kenshin gave a whistle and said, "Kill it, Kao!" as she blew her bangs from her face and got her fingers ready. She let out a delicate sigh before tapping her feet as a countdown and strumming her first chord. It was sweet and romantic to the crowd's ears as she began to play a soft, slow melody. Her eyes were shut softly in the feel of the song she was about to sing and then with a slow motion, she opened her eyes and began to sing.

Kenshin's heart realized why he was falling in love.

"_Irreplacable... that's what you are,_

_Shining across the galaxy; your sky of love falls into me_

_Feelings unexplained,_

_Pulses racing, fingers shaking and I can't remember my name_

_Your smile melts me to the floor_

_Can I call this love?_"

Liquid pools of blue swirled with emotion as they examined the crowd and her chords became more intricate with a romantic touch. Kenshin couldn't help but stare at her fingers for a moment and as he stared back up into her eyes, he was met with a soft smile. She blinked slowly as she began to sing once more and amaze the crowd with her voice. The tempo and melody on the guitar picked up pace.

"_I am a tangled array of hearts and stars..._

_Your arrow shoots through and makes me fall straight into your arms..._

_Lust that's unparalleled,_

_Breath that quivers, skin that shivers and our bodies drift somewhere else_

_Together our voices move..._

_Is this what we want?_

_Now I don't know about you, but I know that for me_

_You're my heart..._

_I could be anywhere doing anything no matter what the time_

_I'll always want to be apart of you_

_And baby, baby please_

_Don't leave me now; you're all i need_

_Irreplacable; that's what I see_

_Oh..._"

Her eyes met Kenshin's seductively and as she let the chord echo through, Kenshin nearly lost his breath as she gave him a sweet, yet lustful grin. He never gave his attention to anything else in the room as she kept her spell of charm tight and entrancing.

'_I feel like we're the only bodies in the room..._' Kaoru softly laughed before she began to pluck simple notes and sing her last words.

"_Float a-way with me..._"

With her last chords struck and her head softly nodding to the melody, Kenshin started the uproar in the club as he cheered and clapped like the rest of the listening ears. At first, she was surprised at the loud applause, but eventually she gave in and smiled brightly with a blush. She bowed a few times and as they screamed for more, she laughed softly and began to deny.

"I don't think I have time..."

"Do one for the club!" Kenhsin cheered and they yelled in approval with him before she looked towards the bar for any approval. A mug was put up in her favor and she gave in to their pleading faces.

"One more couldn't kill anybody." Kenshin smiled brightly at her and as they began to clap and chant her name, she laughed and sat back down on the stool. The silence was quickly inundated around the room.

"Does anybody know a band called **Copeland**?"

"THEIR AWESOME!"

The crowd laughed at the random girl's excited reply and Kaoru gave the girl a thumbs up before letting her hair free from its ribbon. The boys whistled as she shook it freely and the bartender couldn't help busting out with laughter.

"Hey, you boys better quit it!" he yelled. "Kenshin'll have your asses for thinking those thoughts!"

They began to catcall at the red-headed male and both teens couldn't help but blush at the new change of atmosphere. It felt like it grew ten degrees hotter. Once it got silent, Kaoru cleared her throat and looked straight to the blushing male.

"Come play with me? I know you know this song." Kenshin looked around and after pointing to himself, she laughed and said, 'yes'.

"No guitar--"

"Right over here, kid." Amethyst eyes glanced to the bar and as Lucius flashed a polished black guitar. "I always bring it to work. Tuned and ready to go." It passed through the crowd with silent chatter and once Kenshin got a hold of it, he pulled a stool from the side and sat it on stage next to his smiling date. Kenshin played a few notes quickly and they crowd cheered him on to the duet. He could only give a teasing grin as a mic stand was put in front of him and adjusted to his height.

Kaoru leaned over to his ear. Even though she merely gave instructions, the tickled sensation on his ear made him simmer. "You play the low, okay?"

"Gotcha."

They didn't waste another minute and once Kaoru counted off, their voices filled the air and gave a sweet balance nobody had ever heard in the club before.

"_You see the night is all I have to make me fear, _

_And all I want is just a love to make it hurt_

_Cause all I need something fine to make me loose_

_Now it's a funny way... I find myself with you..._"

The bartender stopped serving drinks and as he sat on top of a stool, he looked at the confidence radiating off of Kenshin's smile. His eyes were closed as they played the slow, romantic instrumental and his head bounced softly while he drifted in the music. Almost as if practiced, they began to sing together again.

"B_ecause this song is all i have to make me feel  
And all it takes is just a love to make it hurt  
And every sound erased in time could make me loose  
Now its a funny way i find myself with you..  
_

**Kaoru:**_ But now theres nothing left to do but waste my time  
I never knew where to move on, i never knew what to rely upon  
Now theres nothing left to say to change your mind  
And if you're unhappy still i will be hanging on your line  
Should you return, should you return, should you return._"

Kaoru couldn't describe the adrenalin rush coursing through her body as she played with Kenshin in front of a crowd that was moving to their duet. Kenshin looked at the crowd and as he gave a silent laugh to one of his friends dancing, he turned to Kaoru as they began to sing again. Their eyes never left each other's face and to the crowd, they were singing to each other.

"Their so romantic..."

"_Because the night is all i have to make me fear  
And all i want is just a drink to make it worth while  
Cause all i need is someone close to make me loose  
Now its a funny way.... I find myself with you _

**Kaoru: **_But theres nothing left to do but waste my time  
I never knew where to move, i never knew what to rely upon  
But now theres nothing left to say to change your mind  
And if you're unhappy still i will be hanging on your line  
_

**Kenshin:**_And now theres nothing left to do to draw your eyes  
(_**Kaoru: **_And now theres nothing left to do)  
I never knew where to move on, i never knew what to rely upon  
_**Kaoru: **_And now theres nothing left to say to change your mind  
And if you're just sinking down i will be pulling on your line._"

They sang the last chorus together and as Kaoru began to pull of guitar tricks, Kenshin's lips slowly formed into a smile. Cheers erupted through the room and Kenshin leaned over and kissed Kaoru's cheek gently before the two rose up and took a bow. Kaoru couldn't help but blush as Kenshin held her hand and made her take another bow.

"Awesome, huh?" he said to her as she grinned at a guy who said 'Call me!'. At first she didn't answer, but once she looked at him and gave his hand a squeeze she nodded.

"More than awesome."

* * *

Kaoru couldn't help but smile brightly at the red-head as they bid the club goodnight and he held the door open for her to leave. The cool night air put a flush in her cheeks, but she barely registered the cold as Kenshin held her guitar on his back and hummed into the night's sky. Her fingers tugged on her sleeve at the chill of the air and as she gave a small shiver, Kenshin looked over at her trying to fight it out and show that she wasn't cold.

'_She's trying so hard to show that she's independent... Kaoru's so different._' Another shiver, this time more visible, shook through her body and Kenshin grew tired of her spasms. Slowly and smoothly, he slipped an arm around her shoulder to pull her close. Out of instinct, the pale body tensed and her eyes snapped to his in alert.

"...You're cold... I just wanted to heat you up..." Kaoru's eyes softened and she smiled in thanx before moving in closer and continuing the walk to the car. Her head leaned against his shoulder with content and he looked up at the sky in relief. '_Phew..._'. Once the car was in sight, Kenshin made sure she got inside first before moving to the trunk and grabbing his varsity jacket. He slipped the guitar into the backseat with care before sliding into the driver's seat and holding it out for her to take.

"Wear my varsity jacket," he softly demanded. "It'll keep you warm."

Kaoru blushed at the smile in his eyes and with a soft 'thanks' she took it from his fingers and slipped it on. Immediately, her quiet demeanor from the walk turned into playfulness as she pulled out a camera and fluffed her hair up a little bit. Kenshin pulled out the parking lot as she took a picture of herself in his jacket. He couldn't help but laugh at her faces before she turned the camera to him and took a picture of him smiling as he turned again. Suddenly, an idea of brilliance struck her.

"Make a left."

"... what?"

"Make—A—Left." Kenshin looked at her with an arched eyebrow, but once he saw she was serious, he switched blinkers and turned to the opposite direction. From there, Kaoru began to guide him from image memory of the streets. Kenshin, who laughed through most of it, understood what she meant and let him lead her to **Fayerville Arcade**. Confusion appeared all over his face as he chekced his watch.

"You wanted to come here?"

"Yup." she responded happily and unbuckled her seatbelt. "Come on, reddy." He glared at her playfully for the nickname, but unbuckled his seatbelt and followed her inside the game haven. Kaoru could only give a cute smile and a sigh as Kenshin looked around in surprise at the amount of students there. He checked his watch to see what time it was again before he leaned over to Kaoru and spoke quietly in her ear.

"It's almost eleven thirty. They don't close here?"

"Nah, they're open until one." she replied while turning her head to meet his eyes. "They stay open for the late gaming crowd. Don't even care if you're supposed to be in bed. Long as you have ID... you have access."

Kenshin couldn't help but smile softly at her now royal blue eyes and she 'hmph'ed playfully while pushing his head away with her fingers. Her fingers softly removed the varsity jacket and immediately, Kenshin felt uneasy at her lack of sleeves on her shirt. As they walked through isles of racing games and pool tables, he watched lustful and starry-eyed expressions from majority of the males that noticed they were moving through. It angered him to watch them looking at Kaoru's body in ways that they didn't have the rights to.

'_Hell, I don't have the right to either! It's just rude._' Kaoru turned to Kenshin and as she watched the emotion flicker across his eyes, she immediately became concerned as he glared to a boy racing behind the wheel.

"Something wrong?" he shook his head and as he finally got fed up with their glances towards Kaoru's cheerful movements, he spun on his heel and stormed back towards the entrance.

"Hey!" he heard her yell back at him in annoyance. "Where are you going, Himura?!"

"Just stay put; i'll be back." the stern command in his voice made her listen and she stomped like a child towards the nearest chair and sat. She looked to the left and saw two boys gawking at her with their eyes wide and their breath caught in their throats. Her pout was extremely adorable and the hurt in her eyes made her appearance all the more to die for.

"Can you believe he just ditched me in here?" she asked the two speechless teens. "He looks around angry at everything then abandons me here and storms the hell off."

Nervously, they looked at each other and just as they were going to speak, she cut them off and began to rant once more. "Who's going to take me home? Who's going to play games with me here? And who the hell is going to be my sidekick for the night? _**Sigh**_ I need a hug..."

Inside her head, Kaoru laughed at the way the two boys looked at each other again. She didn't have to look to see what was storming their way. To her, it was all a mere expirement out of humor to see what would happen. But, the boys she complained to didn't notice. Instead, once they made sure what they heard was right, one boy moved to sit on her right and slide his arm around her shoulder.

"It's alright, you know... Things like this happen all the time..."

"Yeah, if all you want is a hug, we can give that to you."

"And you can come play some... some _games_ with us." they flashed her comforting smiles and just as she was going to accept a deep, yet dark voice broke the through.

"**Or**, if you don't want to end up in the trash can out back, you'll get up and walk away." Kaoru looked up at Kenshin and she saw his glare towards the two boys who sat next to her. "She doesn't need either of you."

The boy on the left grew irritated at Kenshin's interruption and as he stood up, he stepped face to face with the angry redhead. "And just who are you? She was just fine with us until you got here and started minding her business."

"My girl **is** my business, punk." Kaoru's eyes widened in shock, but Kenshin didn't seem to realize what he said. He only continued to glare at the now stammering teen.

"Beat it!" he barked and they quickly scurried off towards the pool tables. Kaoru watched him sigh in what she figured to be relief before his eyes relaxed and he gave her a smile.

"I hate horny punks. They just wanted a hug to touch and feel. I know the Fayerville boys first hand."

Suddenly, Kaoru felt foolish for even thinking of teasing the redhead with another boy. His warm smile and his concern for her lashed at her thoughts like they were the plague. She stood up and rubbed her arm with a nod before looking at the floor and staring at the weirdly designed carpet. '_Ugh, I hate when I feel bad after my expirements... and he called me his girl..._'

"Um, Kaoru?" her head raised up and her frown turned into surprise. Tan hands opened and turned to hold out a longsleeve white shirt and black sweat pants. Her eyes hesitated on the clothing for another moment before she looked up at Kenshin and arched her eyebrow.

"What's this?"

"I want you to put it on." he said with a serious tone. "I'm tired of watching their eyes on your body. They don't have the rights to look at you without asking and if I find out more eyes are watching, i'm going to freak... why are you looking at me like that?"

Amethyst locked onto sapphire and they both felt their cheeks color with blush as Kenshin pushed the clothes further and into her hands. "Will you put them on?" he asked her again and she could only nod with an embarassed smile as he showed her to the bathroom and waited outside. One she slipped through the doors, he pulled his cell phone out and began to text Aoshi.

'**I'm in love with this girl. I just know it.**'

* * *

Kaoru couldn't help but snuggle into Kenshin's clothes everytime she walked behind him or whenever he wasn't paying attention to her closely. The smell of ginger and pinewood drove her senses wild. He held her hand whenever they walked past a group of boys and she didn't mind the dangerous glare he flashed in every direction. It made her feel more safe and secure.

The arcade music left her breathless as she bounced and laughed to the goofy tunes playing out the speakers. "Wanna get a round of Dance Dance Revolution?" she finally asked Kenshin as she spun around him and took his hands. "It's so much fun, Kenshin! You'll love it!"

"I can play." he laughed as she continued to bounce and wait for his answer. "But you're going down. I live for this game."

"Yeah right, fat boy." Her finger poked his chest as she gave him a smirk. "I'm going to throw you out the water."

To say that the duo didn't have a blast was an understatement. Their laughter and their taunts could be heard all through the arcade and soon, people came to watch them play on the extreme level and hit almost every arrow that flew by on the screen. Kaoru even had the tricks to do it while starting through a pocket mirror. The winnings went back and forth and with each battle, new wages and prices went up for grabs. A new phone cover, a t-shirt, a key-chan, lunch, soda; you name it they said it.

But finally, by the grace of god, Kenshin decided to step up the game and pause her from choosing their next track. A thin sheet of sweat graced both their faces, but with Kaoru he noted that her tired look made her all the sexier as she blinked at him and gave him a smile.

"If I win..." '_Ask her out, idiot._' his mind yelled to him. '_There's nothing she can do but accept_.'

"If I win, you'll go on a date with me." the crowd 'ooo'ed at his cocky grin and Kaoru's shocked expression.

'_He's asking me on a date over DDR_' her lips curled into a smile. '_That's so original!_'

"Alrighty," finally said as she pressed 'random'. "But! If I win, you have to be my personal slave for the day."

"Sounds good." he laughed before the two faced the screen and saw the song that came up. Kaoru gasped as she began to bounce to the beat. "This is my favorite song," she explained to him, "So prepare to loose."

"Not likely." he countered and soon, all they could do was taunt and laugh as the arrows flew and their feet matched the page. Kaoru threw in hip movements and as she smiled at the red-head stepping next to her, he purposely ignored all her teasings and focused at the task at hand.

'_I have to win this date._' he told himself. '_She'll probably make me clean and do her laundry!_'

'_He's so cleaning and doing my laundry when I win this._'

Three songs went by like seconds and as they waited for the final score, Kaoru re-tied her hair up into a ponytail with a laugh. "Ready to be my bitch for a day, Ken?" Kenshin stuck his tongue out at her and once the letters did their final roll, Kaoru gasped in shock as Kenshin scored higher just by a hundred points. He cheered along with his new found fans before shaking his hips to a tune of his own and spinning to face the shocked dancer on the next dance podium.

"Well, well, well." he teased as he circled her silent stature. "It seems to me like you have lost, Kaoru." Kaoru didn't answer and as Kenshin finally stood in front of her, he raised her head up by his chin and he grinned.

"Roller skating ring on saturday at eight o' clock. I'll pick you up at seven forty-five." Her speechless expression smoothly slid into a shy grin and she nodded before they cheered at the hug he gave her.

"Ready to go home?" a nod was the only answer he needed before he helped her slide into his jacket once more and the two moved for the exit. "That was fun." Kenshin cheerfully said once they stepped outside.

"It really was!" the outgoing volume was back in Kaoru's voice and as Kenshin laughed, he let her in the car before he got in and headed for her house. "You're really good at DDR. Better than most of the guys I play with back at Daddy's."

"Me and Misao are like addicts at Aoshi's house." he chuckled. "His younger sister has everything, so we just play until our legs start to go numb. Aoshi sucks at it, but he's more a **Guitar Hero** guy anyways."

"That is true." Kaoru giggled and for the rest of the ride, they sang to the radio and laughed at some of the lyrics that came from their mouths. He turned the music down once they began to roll up her hill and he turned the car around before putting it in park and turning to face Kaoru.

"Thanks for taking me out tonight." she said before he could open his mouth to speak. Her small smile made his heart flutter in ways that she couldn't imagine. "I really had... tonight was the most fun i've had since I moved here."

"Glad I could show you a wonderful time, Kao." His smile melted away at her focus to leave the car. Instead, all she could do was remove her seatbelt and twidle her thumbs.

"Kaoru." Her eyes looked up into his and he chuckled softly before removing his seatbelt and leaning over to her side of the seat. His hand softly pressed the side of her face as a blush slowly spread, but neither objected to the tugging of their hearts. Sparks lit as their lips met for a kiss. Kenshin's fingers slid into Kaoru's hair and as their kiss deepened, he felt warmth spread all the way through his arm. Kaoru was the one to pull away and then flash a sweet smile.

"See you in school tomorrow?"

"If I stay home, i'll let you know." his husky voice made her senses go off the fritz and Kenshin pressed another kiss to her lips before he got out and opened the door for her to leave his car. "Night, Kaou."

"Night." she whispered softly before jogging up to her door and watching him get into the car once more. Her fingers waved at him and he saluted at her through the window before she shut her door and he drove down the street. Kaoru sped all the way into her bedroom and once she had taken a shower, she laid in bed and smiled as she hugged her pillow.

'_I'm falling in love..._' giggles erupted from her chest and for the next ten minutes, she rolled back and forth and hummed a love tune that she knew from memory.

'_I really don't care about these consequences that everybody's talking about... I want you to be mine and i'm going to continue to win your heart over no matter what.' _Sleep soon came over her senses and as she finally snuggled in, the stars from the night sky drove her further into the land of dreams.

'_**Sigh**__ I hope you'll take my heart too._'

_**You're magnetic... I can't help it  
I'm letting go of all control  
Can't deny it, I won't fight it  
No matter what I do I'm drawn to you

* * *

  
**_

**A/N :**Woot woot! I'm finally finished this chapter! I think it came out okay, lol, i'm just glad I finally got it done. I've been doing so many things and not having time for this just makes it more harder for me to finish these things =p But, I hope everybody enjoyed it!

Who exactly was Kenshin's father and just what did he do when Kenshin was younger? And Enishi as Kaoru's new roommate?? Lol, what's going to happen now that he enrolls into their school? lol the games are only getting better.

Read and Review, please!!!

Love,

**R.S.**


	10. The Death of Building Affection

_**Just some changes! So sorry I forgot to write who the artists were that made these songs! I do not own any of them :) thanks so much**_ "**morning rush!". Kenshin's song in text is named "Lions, Tigers, and Bears" By Jazmin Sullivan, and Kaoru's response is called "Chasing Pavement" by Adele. And in the very beginning where it says 'so who are you that we all have escaped to, etc." is by a band named _AKissForJersey _and is called "Devices." once again, sorry! totally forgot!**

**R.S. :** Hello, everyone! I'm sorry for the delay. Life has been in such a spiral! College is here and summer is just buzzing with so many things to do; I barely sit anymore! But, I still think about this story and I still write! So here is chapter Eight. This chapter's kinda... it spans out over two weeks or so. Enjoy!

* * *

"_I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano; A stage where every man must play a part, and mine is a sad one."_

**-William Shakespeare**

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_

_**By: Rampaging Sorrow**_

_**Chapter Eight: The Death of Building Affection  
**_

For the next week, their chemistry was _**electric. **_Every day at five in the morning, they ate fruits together and played soccer against each other like rivals; their pants and friendly growls fulfilling and humorous. From seven-thirty to eight, they lay in each other's cars (it alternated each day) and listened to music or finished homework. Most of their time was spent listening to lyrics and shyly brushing their hands against each other.

Kaoru's fingers constantly sought out something to trace or hold. Most of the time, it ended up being Kenshin's fingers as he picked up a tune and rubbed his thumb against her palm. Their eyes constantly met and averted with shy smiles and light blushes. Kenshin's heart always thumped happily when she smiled at him or when she hugged him from behind after their practice. The warm sensations that lingered when she moved away or when she gave him a smile always seemed to pick up his spirits when they began to fall.

He realized with joy that he couldn't live without her.

In class, they text each other constantly. From conversations to jokes to poetry, nothing was safe from their quickly moving thumbs. Tomoe couldn't help but become furious and jealous beyond belief. To see him pull out his phone and smile across the room to the new lady made her blood boil to foreign temperatures. And yet, Kaoru couldn't give a damn about her death glares nor pay her any attention. All she could do was text. And for each text that was sent back to him, she always wrote it with heart-felt words or with pure comical jokes. Constantly, they got in trouble for laughing frequently and cracking broad smiles at the serious moments in their class lectures.

On Thursday, as Kaoru sat with Aoshi in English and faked sleep against his shoulder, her thumbs moved at amazing speeds while she text the red-head who was currently drawing a picture. A slight vibration against his hip made him quickly flip his phone open and read what the message had to show.

'_How do you feel about poetry and us?_' With a breath of air through his bangs, amethyst eyes clouded over in thought and earned a giggle from his thoughtful "hmmm..."

'_Tell me anything_' she wrote as an afterthought to his clueless nature. A slight snore caused a laugh to escape from her lips as Aoshi shifted in his arm-made cocoon and let out a sigh that she felt through her arm that was held prisoner.

"Tomodachi." she whispered towards his ear. No response.

"To-mo-da-chi." she whispered again. "Wake up."

".... **_snore_**."

Kaoru could only smile as he sighed once more. '_Down for the count._' Thanking the heavens she was left handed, she began to draw butterflies and hearts all over his arm in red and blue marker ink. A smile spread wide across her lips as she created a shooting star and wrote her name on top of it. A vibration against her hip made her head snap down to the table and she looked around suspiciously before she pulled her phone out and slid the screen upward. Kenshin's signature grinned at her.

'_What I feel is... I just hope you understand what i'm saying._

_So who are you that we all have escaped to._

_We are the last ones breathing..._'

Kenshin watched her eyes flicker across the screen in slight confusion and he smiled before turning to Tomoe and explaining to her the numerous words that were on the paper. He ignored her disapproving glare and as Kenshin winked at her, he looked back down to see Kaoru smiling brightly.

She couldn't help but drift a little at the short, yet meaningful words that Kenshin sent her. What was clear confusion at first was now perfectly clear because, in a way, she felt the same.

'_For the past week and a half, we've shared poetry and song lyrics. We've sat in the club together listening and analyzing people. We've even watched the stars on the soccer field..._

_When we're together, it almost feels as if we really are the last ones left in the world. We're just caught in each other's auras completely... I wouldn't change this for the world._'

_***~*~*~*~*~*~***_

Outside, people were noticing the chemical attraction that was bubbling. When they walked together in the hallway or worked in class, they gave each other looks and gestures of longing to officially be together. Kaoru would hide in his hoodie occasionally and she wrote her name across the back of all of his notebooks, while Kenshin always rustled her hair or fixed her clothing whenever he saw fit. They didn't eat lunch together or sit in gym, but their phones never stopped vibrating or ringing to show its existence. Neither prep or punk/emo approved, but they were already wrapped up in their own little world. They forgot that they were supposed to care.

Whenever Kaoru sat below him in class, she couldn't help but lean her head back and stare up at his easy-going smile and the bright violet color in his eyes that showed his happiness. He would always feel the uneasy chill of somebody staring at him, but once he looked down to meet adoring eyes, his lips would slowly curve upward at her smile and his cheeks would tint pink.

Sadly, Aoshi slept through all of their moments. Every smile, every gesture, and every wave of tension.

But on Thursday, their best day of the week, something remarkable occurred. Ever since eighth grade, Kenshin managed to keep important rules of the code in tact and not break them as example of his devotion to the preps. But, for Kaoru's sake, he amazingly found himself giving in and not caring who caught him walking down the steps to the first floor.

Kenshin Himura, the king of preps, skipped class. With an **emo**. One of the biggest rules that you weren't supposed to break not because of the ditch, but because of who the ditch was with. The _**princess.**_

Outside, they walked hand in hand through the woods behind the school and through their conversation, they occasionally stopped to just stand still and remain in each other's embrace.

"You smell so good," Kaoru occasionally whispered to make his heart race a little. "I love your cologne." Their blushes were adorable to each other and as they smiled, it was almost like spotlights were focused mainly on them. The sound of twigs and leaves crunching as they moved back towards the building made Kenshin's heart beat in relief.

"Kenshin." Kaoru softly said as he looked around to make sure that the gym class they saw earlier was already past. Violet eyes turned to her in curiosity, but they widened in shock as Kaoru linked her fingers into his pocket and initiated their second real kiss. Once his shock faded, he held her face gently and let himself fall into the emotions that his heart was throwing out.

"Your lips are so warm..." he murmured as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I can't get enough of the heat."

The bell was five minutes away and as they took at his locket, Kaoru held her arms around his waist while he hummed into her midnight colored hair.

"_Oh, I take my hands and I_

_press them to heat your heart_

_Maybe, one day you'll see that truthfully,_

_you are all I need._"

A grin spread across Kaoru's lips and as Kenshin pressed his own to hers once more, he said the words that had been floating through her mind.

"_Anata ha watashi no seimei seikatsu no hikari ni nani hajime te imasu. _(You are starting to become the light of my life)."

Accidenally, she allowed her heart to speed up and she became extremely happy. It wasn't shown on her face, but Kenshin could feel it as she held him tighter and buried her face into his Abercrombie hoodie. He tilted her head up and for the second time that day, she pressed her lips to his.

The loud screaming of the bell broke them from their expression of love and they gave each other sheepish grins as their cheeks flamed in red. The two walked outside with talks of their plans for that night and Aoshi grabbed Kaoru's hand and split them apart.

"Text me, Himura." he coolly stated. Sanosuke and Soujiro approached the group and Sanosuke glared at Aoshi with cut eyes of pure hatred. It barely had any affect as they split ways. Both groups began to pick up in size and as Kaoru looked back at his retreating figure, she couldn't hold her thoughts.

"Kenshin!" He stopped with his now large group and as he turned around, he saw her glance back at him with nervousness and hopeful intentions. It made his heart flutter.

"Yi jí jiǎ dìng wǒ lí qù?(**And what if I leave?)**"

Both groups were shocked at the smooth Chinese and Kenshin couldn't help but laugh softly at how amazing she was. Her pout was to die for and as she demanded an answer, he gave the most dazzling grin possible. It made her pout fizzle.

"Rán hòu nĭ jiānd jiàng bà nĭ duì wõ de xïn qì jïn wéi zhi yǒu de dài gēn nĭ yì qĭ. **(Then you will take what you have of my heart so far with you.)**"

Kaoru couldn't help but smile brightly at him. "Kenshin..."

"You speak fluent Chinese?!" Misao blurted out to ruin the moment. Sanosuke grabbed Kenshin by the shoulder and as Aoshi pulled on Kaoru's elbow. Both steered the two around, but not before flashing each other hateful glares that could cause storms.

"Let's go, Kaoru." Kaoru turned fully without question and as Tomoe moved next to Kenshin's side, the groups went to their lunch spots. Aoshi chuckled as Kaoru held a triumphant smirk on her lips.

_***~*~*~*~*~*~***_

"Stop opening up to that girl, Kenshin." Sanosuke seethed as they sat atop the hill. It's nothing but trouble. **ALWAYS.** Look what happened the last time shit like this happened!!"

"I'm not doing anything bad." the red-head smoothly replied. "She's just a friend."

"It's just as bad!" the brunette exclaimed. "It's not healthy to chase an... _**emo**_**.** And where were you today, huh? Both of you were missing in class."

"Went home to take mother to the doctor." the lie went smooth and without skipping a beat. "I don't know where Kaoru was."

Sanosuke glared at him and as he saw Tomoe and Megumi coming up the hill, he left the argument shut with a powerful blow. "Stick to what you know and don't go becoming what your best friend is. Don't start a war that you might fight alone because when he sends the dogs, i'm not coming to help leash them all up."

Kenshin sat silent as Sanosuke stood up and went to kiss Megumi as welcome. Soujiro could only pat the boy's shoulder.

"It's just for the best. You've built yourself up to this point, so why destroy it now? You're safest amongst your kind of people." Tomoe was curious to the red-head's distant look and as a conversation started about a trip to the mall, he was silent and barely took a bite of his food.

"Kenshin, you have a game to watch and practice for afterward. You should eat." He ignored Megumi's demand with a roll of his eyes and after putting his food away, he rose from his seat without a word and began to walk down the hill.

"What's wrong?!" Tomoe called out to him. "Kenshin, don't just walk away!"

"Let him go." Sanosuke seethed. "He's losing his **faith**."

_He's losing his faith._

Kenshin in mid-step and as he turned around, Sanosuke stood and showed pride behind his words.

"You're a shape shifter in the making, Himura."

Aoshi, who was in mid-bite of his rice ball, looked up to see Kenshin's rigid stature.

"Uh oh." was all he said before rising to his feet and casually making his exit. Kaoru saw the reason for his movement, but before she could get up a hand was held for her to see.

"Stay. That's an order." Kaoru frowned as Aoshi turned around started to walk with reason towards the hill.

"Leave it to Aoshi, Kaoru." Chou breathed to soothe the worried girl. "If anybody can handle these things, it's Aosh. He'll be fine." Hannya nodded and then what he said made her sit and think.

"You're going for the top, pretty girl. I'd hate to see you fall hard for such a high price like love."

At the hill, Kenshin marched back up and he raised his head just so he could look into the chocolate eyes of his best friend and give him a piece of his mind.

"Don't you **dare **state or even t**hink** that _I_am losing my faith, Sagara." the others were shocked at how angry he sounded. He never used last names for anybody in the prep elites, so to hear him say Sanosuke's name like that was key to see that he was pissed.

"The _nerve_ of you to say that to **me** makes me _**sick.**_"

"I call it as I see it, _Kenshin_."

"I'm the _**last**_ person you need to talk to about this. _**I**_ made this what it was in middle school with my brother up here in high school! I put you in your rank, Sagara, so don't you even think you can come to me as a King because you **will** be put in your place."

"So place me!" Sanosuke challenged. "You wouldn't place anybody because of your kind heart. You wouldn't even want to upset a lowly _freshman_. I placed everybody _for_ you."

He held his stomach as he began to laugh at the thought that ran through his head. "You couldn't even place a nerd."

Amethyst eyes jerked gold and his composure snapped.

"**DON'T TAKE ME AS A COWARD!**" He barked with so much venom and power that it shot a pang of fear through all of them. "Don't even think for a _second_ that I won't exile you from this family we have and put you out on your ass where you started! I am not to be fucked with. Don't even think you will take me as a joke because you do not want to tempt me, Sagara."

"Come then."

Aoshi appeared just as Kenshin was going to start a fight and he placed his hands on his shoulders so smoothly Kenshin had to stop and realize that it was him. His head then leaned down to Kenshin's ear and he spoke with a tone that calmed Kenshin's rage down.

"It's not worth it... Come talk to me. You'll mess up your hierarchy and we can't have a war at the end of the year if you start this."

Kenshin put his hands up in the air and said, "I give up on this! I'm going back to being by myself!" before Aoshi spun around with him to walk away.

"Go run to the _**Emo**_, Himura."

"I'm not as calm as he is, freak. Don't take me lightly."

And with that, Aoshi led Kenshin into the gym. Back at the emo table, Kaoru grew tired of the negative feedback she was receiving from the group.

"What is so wrong with me wanting Kenshin?!" her voice made them look at her uneasily. "He's a prep; so what?! I want him for him. I like him for him. I don't give a fuck about the status."

"Kao, it's not that easy--"

"I'll make it that way." Her sharp tone ended the conversation and she shrugged a hand off her shoulder before storming off towards her car. Enishi sighed and quickly jogged to to catch her as she threw her bag into the back seat. She turned to face him as he called her name out.

"Hey," he said as he slowed to a stop. "You're crying, babes."

"Because it--"

"--Sucks!"

Aoshi watched Kenshin as he began to pace back and forth in the gymnasium and he exclaimed his stress.

"I'm falling in love and it's such a problem!" the dark-haired teen could only nod as the boy kicked up dust.

"But, you know your status Himura."

"Yeah, but so--"

"--What?! I like him for him... not the status."

Enishi wiped her tears and as he hugged her, she clung tightly while shaking in anger. "I'm falling in love with him..."

"I know. Just give it time and--"

"--put your heart into it. Fight for--"

"--what you really want. Once it's all over--"

"--Nobody else matters."

In both places, the distraught teens could only take the advice given and calm their nerves down. As a result of lunch, the rest of the day was spent at a distance. Texting was slowed and their longing yet, sad gazes never met. Kaoru and Kenshin didn't stop to wait for each other in the hallway and as they walked to their classes, Kenshin couldn't help but look at her walk with Enishi as he moved slowly by himself.

By the end of the day, their earlier connections barely mattered. All their excitement and hype had been dimmed down to almost nothing.

'_This sucks._'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Friday, Kaoru came in dressed simple. A pair of skinny jeans, some designed sneakers she created, and a dark blue hoodie with her own little design on the back. Her hair hung straight, her jewelery was simple, and her shirt underneath the hoodie was a shirt with splotches of paint all over it. But, even with this... under-average outfit (to her anyways), she still managed to catch attention. Gloved fingers threw the door open and once she stepped over the threshold, she eyed Kenshin's similar outfit of a black v-cut hoodie with a white shirt underneath and Grey jeans.

'_At least our emotions are similar..._' they both thought to themselves. Their eyes met as she shut the door and handed away the late pass to the teacher.

"Woke up late. Sorry not to really care." she didn't wait for a response as she went to her seat and puled out her books. Everybody watched her negative attitude and couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with the bright spunky girl. The preps felt the same way about the way Kenshin doodled in his notebook with a sullen expression. Soft whispers went across the lower levels of the room.

"What's their deal?"

"I dunno. Maybe they had a falling out?"

"They were never together. Maybe they just had some unfortunate events in their houses last night."

"Could be that too."

For most of the day, Kaoru kept to herself, designed clothing, and doodled pictures. But, at English, her cell phone gave a vibrate and her heart slightly lifted to see Kenshin's name flash across the screen. Aoshi, who was just loving her rebellious attitude that day, smirked as she flipped her cell phone out in broad daylight and blinked hair from her eyes while she opened the message. Ice blue orbs moved across the screen and her once cold , uncaring feelings slowly melted out to reveal unshed tears.

**To: Kaoru K.**

**From: Kenshin H.**

**'**_I'm not scared of lions and tigers and bears_

_But i'm scared of loving you_

_I'm not scared to perform at a sold out affair_

_But i'm scared of loving you_

_Am I the only one who thinks it's an impossible task?_

_Why it don't last? Is that too much to ask?_

_Why do we love Love,_

_When love seems to hate us?_

_Sorry if I sound so filled with gloom_

_You say you care and I kno you do_

_But this is from my experience,_

_And my conclusions only makes sense,_

_Just 'cause I love you and you love me,_

_It doesn't mean that we're meant to be_

_I can climb mountains, swim cross the seas_

_But the most frightening thing is you and me._**'**

Kenshin watched her reading the words and as Aoshi glanced over, his smirk soon faded into a look of confusion as two tears slowly slid down her face.

"Kuro Neko." his voice called out to her filled with concern. Pale hands slid up over her face and he made her rest her arms on the desk to hide from public view. Kaoru brought her phone underneath her arms and with a shaky breath, she began to reply. Her shoulders gave a slight shake with her quiet sobs moving her body. After a minute or so, Kenshin's phone vibrated and he opened his phone in his book as Kaoru finally curled in tight and gave a quiet whine.

**To: Kenshin H.**

**From: Kaoru K.**

_**'**I've made up my mind_

_No need to think it over,_

_If i'm wrong I am right,_

_Don't need to look no further_

_This ain't lust,_

_I know this is love, but_

_If I tell the world,_

_I'll never say enough_

_Cause it was not said to you,_

_And thats exactly what I need to do,_

_If i'm in love with you,_

_*****Should I give up_

_or should I just keep chasing pavements?_

_Even if it leads nowhere?_

_Or would it be a waste, even if I knew my place_

_Should I leave it there?_

_Should I give up,_

_or should I just keep chasing pavements?_

_Even if it leads nowhere...*****_

_I'd build myself up_

_And Fly around in circles_

_wait then as my heart drops_

_and my back begins to tingle_

_finally, could this be it,_

_****'**_

Kenshin's heart felt _open_ and as it completely dropped into his feet, he looked in shock to the girl who cried silently into her hands. The girl who was wearing her heart on her sleeves for him. Who was bringing him into her world with open arms. And yet, all he could do is be reluctant and pull back because of his own fears. His cowardice. His doubt.

Kaoru's quiet sniffs gave her away to the classroom and yet, even as Aoshi put his arms around her and rubbed her arms, she didn't have the slightest care. She continued to cry in public and she didn't bother to stop nor try to leave the room.

"You want to go in the hallway?" Aoshi softly asked.

"Nope." she sternly said through her tears. "I don't care who sees me. I'm not _scared_." Kenshin shifted uncomfortably as he knew her last sentence was directed his way. Her hands wiped the tears clean and she sat up in her seat before removing her hair from her face. "Fuck this." she whimpered.

'_She's even beautiful through her tears. She's really a natural beauty._' Kaoru sighed again and slowly slid her hand into the air while rubbing her cheek.

"What's wrong, Kuro?"

"... I gotta use the bathroom." the class laughed softly at her pout and Aoshi pointed to the door in the back before she got up and crept away from the class. Kenshin watched her with his eyes and as Kaoru stopped to look at him, he saw every emotion across her eyes as she flipped her hair to the side.

If apologies could be given with a stare, Kenshi

n's eyes would have apologized over a million times. But as Kaoru finally sighed and rubbed her lip, she shook her head and continued her way out the classroom. His head went down to rest in his hands and for the rest of the class, it remained inside his arms.

'_Dammit...'_

Aoshi turned around to glare at his hair and he then shot his glare to Sanosuke. '_Always starting __trouble for people. Bitch._' He turned around to bury back into his arms and the class resumed to the normal pace. With five minutes left to spare, Kaoru came back in the room and she walked back down to her seat. Kenshin raised his head to see her sit in front of him and he almost heard his heart crack at her sad sniffles.

When the bell rang, she packed up and left the room without a word. Aoshi followed behind her and he gave Kenshin a final glare before exiting the room. Kenshin banged his head against the desk in agony and Tomoe placed a hand on his shoulder in worry.

"What happened?" he didn't answer her question and Tomoe sat down next to him to wait. Outside, she frowned and showed her concern for the silent red-head, but inside... it was almost like a party.

'_Yes yes yes!!! Things are finally going my way!_'

_***~*~*~*~*~*~***_

"He's such a bitch."

With a shoulder casually leaned against the long locker, Aoshi watched Kaoru throw things into the open space. Her face was cool and calm, but once he looked into her eyes he saw the anger and the hurt she was feeling. With her hair flipped over one shoulder and her fingers constantly twitching, the emotions radiated strongly.

"I don't know what's going through his head, but he's an idiot."

"It's fine." she decided as she grabbed some notebooks and slammed the locker shut. The colliding of metal echoed through the hallway and made students turn to look at her as she spun her locker dial.

Aoshi narrowed his eyes and rolled his eyes at her lies. "It's not fine--"

"--Yes it is." she countered. "It's fine."

Aoshi sighed as he dropped his book bag and he took two strides forward so he could wrap his little "princess" into his arms. The wall Kaoru had quickly built up crumbled as her eyes flooded with tears and she hugged him closer to her. Strong fingers ran through black strands as Kaoru let out a sniffle and gripped the back of his shirt.

"You don't need him."

"I know." she said softly into his shirt.

"He'll realize what he's loosing soon enough."

"I know."

"You shouldn't waste tears over him." Aoshi hissed as he heard her choked breath, arms instantly pulling her in a little tighter.

"I know..." she whimpered again. "...but it still hurts."

Aoshi could feel his heart open a little with compassion and understanding for Kaoru in his arms and he breathed out her name softly before returning to massage her scalp once more.

"I really like him, Aoshi..."

"I know, Kao."

A deep sigh escaped her body as she loosened her fingers from his shirt and shifted to another spot.

"I just don't understand..." he hated the sound of the tears laced in through her voice. It made her sound almost broken, shattered even. And as she repeated it herself with some sobs, he could only 'sssh' her and cradle her like he would to a younger sibling.

With the hallway now fully empty and her emotions slowly calming down, she turned her head to stare down the hallway. Soft pale hands rose to wipe her face clean of tears.

"Aoshi..." she began as he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "Why even waste my time?"

"...I honestly don't know this time..." Icy eyes shut for a moment in thought and then opened back up to stare out the window.

"...He surprised me too..."

_***~*~*~*~*~*~***_

Kaoru missed her next two classes and she completely skipped lunch. And for every class she was gone, Enishi glared at Kenshin and imagined daggers going through him. Aoshi wouldn't look his way and Misao openly threw rude names his way and gave him the finger. It was almost like he was on their 'hit-list' with the way the 'Elite' members looked his way. Sanosuke and Soujiro gave their own evil looks back defending their king, but without the rest of their knights around, it was almost a lost cause.

"Horrible." Chou spat as they got dressed to leave the locker room. "The nerve of some people. Thinking they can do that to girls like they're nothing."

"Yeah, stringing them on and then dropping them as if they're fishing." Katsuya added in distaste. "Who the fuck do these preps think they are?"

Kenshin growled in irritation as he listened to their overly loud and hateful comments. Sanosuke could see the anger slowly rising and he glared towards the lockers in the back.

"He's lucky Aoshi has the protection seal on his ass or he would have been stuffed in a garbage somewhere _hours_ ago!"

"Definitely, because Tomoe's little brother is out for blood."

With his shoe laces fully tied and his book bag slung on his back, he turned to his friends and simply said, "I gotta go." Nobody tried to stop him as he walked out of the lockers and slowly shuffled his way to music class.

'_Why does this hurt more than normal?_' he screamed inside his head as he pulled his bangs from his eyes. '_She's just a girl! A new, caring, creative... amazing... emotional... argh!_' Tan hands went to rub his temples and he stopped to shut his eyes and clear his mind.

'_It'll be okay. She'll soon understand that it wouldn't work out. She'll understand that it was for the best. For both of us __**and**__ our groups. Hopefully... Hopefully she understands by Monday and we can at least __text again?... Nah, that'll never work... Man, why is love so difficult?_'

With his brain racing a mile a minute, his thought process crashed as he suddenly bumped into another person. Loud clattering echoed the hallway as objects fell and without even looking up, Kenshin dropped to one knee and began to pick up the notebooks and electronics that had fallen.

"I'm really sorry, I wasn't paying attention--"

His breath instantly caught in his throat as his eyes met a pair of distraught azure gems. With her hair slightly brushing her cheek and her lips gently parted in surprise, he couldn't help but still admire her beauty and desire for her to be in his arms.

"Kaoru..."

Slowly, he rose to his feet and as he brushed dirt off of his knee, she still remained frozen to her spot. Her eyes were the only thing that showed she had life, the mesmerizing blue following his every motion. Silence soon hung thick and he cleared his throat as he stubbed his toe into the tiles below him.

"...Here you go." Kaoru opened her hands and once Kenshin returned her belongings, she gave a quiet, 'thanks.' Kenshin felt the urge to say something. To explain his reasoning for refusing their relationship to build further and to clear the air for a hopeful friendship. Amethyst eyes burned holes through his sneakers before he raised his head and looked into her eyes.

"Kaoru, I--" a finger to his lips silenced him and he looked at her shake her head softly and sadly.

"Nothing you can say will make this better, Himura. It's simple. You didn't want to be with me. That's it. I get it now. No more hiding what could have been or wishing. You can't sugar coat cowardice." her eyes trailed to the end of the hallway and she sighed as she stared out a window.

"I'll go on to find somebody in my group and you'll go back to your first love. It was inevitable. I now know that it was futile to even hope that you could become apart of my world. It's okay if my feelings are hurt today... they'll heal with tomorrow's sunrise."

Her smile was full of sadness, but as she removed her finger and began to walk away, he could only listen to her voice as she left his side.

"It was nice knowing you. But, you can forget me now because I will soon forget you."

Her words continued to echo through his mind as he numbly made his way to his car and skipped the rest of the day to sulk alone.

* * *

**R.S. : **Finally finished cranking this one out. Man, with college a few weeks away, it's so hectic! University of Vermont bound, guys! XD can't wait.

Anyways, don't think this is over! What will Kenshin do? Will he just let her slip from his fingers? Only way to find out is to stick around for next chapter! And please review, it makes me smile :D

_**Love always,**_

_**R.S.**_

_***~*~*~*~*~*~***_


	11. The Resurrection part one

**R.S. :** Hey everyone! XD sup?! Anyways, here is another chapter! Yyaayy (happy dance) hope you guys enjoy this one :) Sorry it's been so long!!!

_I'm standing in the center of the room  
I watch the boys follow girls perfume  
All is as it should be I assume  
Except for the distance between me and you_

_-_"**_Falling over me" _**by **Demi Lovato

* * *

**

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_

_**By: Rampaging Sorrow**_

_**Chapter Nine (Part One) : The Resurrection of Affection (with a hint of true love)**_

The cool breeze of Sunday night caught Aoshi's skin and left a pleasant tingle as he strummed guitar chords on his window sill, his long yet slender leg dangling off the edge. Green eyes were hidden from view as he kept his eyes shut in the bliss of his music making and the peace that transfixed over his being. The moon stood proud and tall over Oakley and illuminated the street in its white glow. For a while, Aoshi felt like it was almost leaning towards the Shinomori's residency to listen to him, the Emo King, create.

His eyes glanced over to a shut window and he instantly frowned as memories of a week ago came into his head. The day when Kenshin told Kaoru in lyrics that he didn't want to be with her. His blood boiled at the thought of him wasting Kaoru's time and even though he understood the red-head's logic, he had never seen something so cowardly in his high school career.

'_Pussy_.'

Aoshi knew he was in there laying on his bed listening to his guitar strumming and plucking, but he wouldn't dare open the curtains and reveal himself. Out of anger, Aoshi lashed out at Kenshin on Kaoru's behalf and he made sure that the teen had heard his every word.

"_How dare you take somebody's heart and just suddenly shatter it. Haven't you learned anything from the way that **slut** broke your heart? You think if you **crawl** back to her and **fuck** her that she'll decide to stay with you for good this time? How can you be so damn stupid and cowardly? **I** chose Kaoru for you and with good reason. She completes you. You blended so amazingly. But, you just threw it all away! And for what? Sanosuke and Tomoe biting your heels? She opened herself to you and you just kicked dirt in her face. I hope that she never looks at you the same way again. To think that you would waste her time and lead her on like she was some bitch at the pound. When Tomoe breaks your heart again, just know that this time I'll be laughing. I don't even know who's the real punk now? Me or You?_"

They hadn't spoken words since that Monday night. Aoshi wouldn't even look his way in the hallways. It was almost as if their friendship was finished. He felt bad, truly he did, but justice was needed so the King of Prep would learn that Aoshi didn't appreciate his actions.

'_If only I could really show him what he's missed out on... Wait a second..._'

Aoshi threw himself backwards and did a roll out of the pillows that were placed right below for his safe landing. Quickly flipping to his feet, he placed his guitar on his bed and grabbed his car keys as he rushed from the room. His mother raised her head from her book to hear him racing down the steps and as he rushed to the door, she quickly stopped him.

"Where are you going at ten thirty, my son?"

"To Kaoru's house, mother." he said quickly as he slipped his feet into shoes and he opened the door. "I won't be out all night."

"Drive safely." was her final warning before he shut the door behind him and ran to his Mitsubishi Eclipse. Kenshin peeked through his blinds as he heard the engine roaring with power and watched as Aoshi zoomed off down the street. A depressed sigh blew from his lips before he laid back down and continued to fiddle with the ribbon that Kaoru had designed for him atop the hill.

'_I've seen you every day this week and I now feel loss at your smile around others that you once threw my way._

'_My heart weeps as I silently miss you_.'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Who is banging on the door so late? It better be good."

Seth sighed as he scratched the back of his head and he yelled for the banging to stop before opening the front door. Aoshi's tall stature greeted him as he took a step back and arched his eyebrow.

"Nephew, what brings you here this late--"

"Where's Kaoru."

"In her room, but what's going on—hey, don't just barge in here like you own the place!"

Aoshi ignored Seth's words as he ran to the steps and quickly descended to vanish from sight. He strode down the hall and told Kaoru's mother "good evening" as she poked her head from her bedroom. Her arched eyebrow was ignored as he opened Kaoru's door and shut it behind him.

"There's something called knocking before entering, you know."

"It's me." Aoshi said before kicking off his shoes and ascending the steps. Once he got to the top, he smirked as he saw Kaoru polishing her guitar to a shine. Stars and stripes decorated her shorts and her top was yellow with blotches of the rainbow itself going around.

"Another creative outfit, even for sleep."

"Thanks, but why are you here? And why didn't you call?"

"Forgot to think about that with the plot that was running through my head." Kaoru sat her guitar on her bed and as Aoshi plopped into a beanbag, she tied her hair atop her head in a messy bun. Light blue eyes met light green and for a moment, there was silence. Kaoru studied him, trying to read the mischievous glint in his eyes, but Aoshi wasn't letting anything loose. After a few minutes, she gave in.

"Alright," was her relaxed word. "Spill your plan to me, my lord." His lips pulled into a playful sneer before he crossed his legs and he looked back up into her eyes.

"I haven't spoken to Kenshin since Monday night." Kaoru's eyes flashed for a moment with hurt as she briefly remembered the day's events. But as quick as it came, it was gone.

"So? What are you telling me for? He's been erased from my life just as I said I would."

"I understand that," the King replied with a nod, "But I still don't feel like he's suffering the way he should. I want to make him realize that he's really lost out."

Kaoru's hand waved through the air as she feigned indifference."It's fine, Aoshi--"

"--No, I'm **demanding** we do this." Kaoru turned her eyes back to him as she saw the determination deep beneath his layers of ice. "He has to feel this to learn."

Kaoru twiddled her thumbs for a moment and after she blew some bangs from her face, she arched her eyebrow and gave him a curious smile.

"So what shall we do to make him learn his lesson?" Aoshi smirked devilishly and he rose from his feet, bringing Kaoru to stand with him. She gave a laugh of surprise as he twirled her in a circle and then raised her arms out for him to examine.

"Aoshi," she giggled, "Just what are you planning?" Aoshi opened her closet and as he looked at the amazing clothes before him, he pulled her close and leaned down to whisper softly in her hear.

"You, my dear," he breathed with a hint of sexiness in his tone. "Are going to knock his world off of his feet."

* * *

Monday morning brought Kenshin Himura slowly out of his bed and into the shower. The ice cold water rose him from his drowsy state and with more vigor, he zoomed into his room and he got dressed for the day. He walked down the steps quickly and with a sigh, he covered his mother who lay sleeping on the couch.

"You work too hard sometimes." he sighed with a smile as he looked at the wool sweater she was knitting by his younger sister's request. With a butterfly kiss pressed to her forehead, he checked the time and he locked the door behind him as he headed towards school. As he drove, he almost felt like he was trapped in a slow motion movie.

'_Another week of Aoshi probably hating my guts and Tomoe clinging to me in attempts to make Kaoru jealous. Another week of Sanosuke now being all buddy-buddy when just the other day I almost wrapped my fingers around his throat...I hate this._'

He parked slow and he walked in the building slow. Chatter went around him like flies and he greeted everybody with a smile and sometimes a laugh to a few morning jokes tossed his way. But behind the facade, he still was sad and he still felt lower than dirt. '_I just wish Aoshi would talk to me again..._' Just as he was going to shut his locker and slowly trek to English, he heard a few gasps and whistles at the end of the hallway.

"Woo! Kamiya is looking hot today!"

'_Kaoru?_'

Kenshin turned his eyes to see what the commotion was about, but nothing could have prepared him for his mouth slightly dropping and his eyes opening up wide. '_Sweet mother of Jesus.._'

Enishi glanced Kenshin's way and he secretly grinned as Kaoru stopped to speak to a few newly made friends. She shined and radiated sexiness as she pulled her hair from her face and she winked Enishi's way. She wore a green, pink, and purple skirt, the colors curling around each other and blending at some parts of her skirt beautifully. Little light blue butterflies swirled sideways in random lines and at one point, some made hearts. Her top was light blue and it tied around her neck in a cute little bow while hugging her in all the right places. Her feet were covered in green converses with **'KACK**' in large letters on the side and when Kenshin finally looked up into dazzling blue eyes, he thought he'd fall into his locker.

"Morning, Kenshin!" Tomoe's cheerful voice echoed in his ear and he blinked out of his daze and turned to see her open her arms for a hug. Barely understanding the way his body was feeling, he hugged her back and turned back to see Kaoru hugging Enishi's arm lightly as they walked by. He as well radiated next to her with his red, black and gray plaid shirt along with skinny jeans and vans.

"Her outfit is so ridiculous. God, what a spaz." Tomoe glared Kaoru's way before looking up into Kenshin's eyes and seeing the lust and longing he held out in clear view. She hit his arm before he looked back down at her with an arched eyebrow.

"What happened?" her eyes narrowed and he could only say, "What?" as she spun on her heel and turned away from him.

"We'll be late to class, let's get moving." Ignoring the slight anger in her voice, he shut his locker and took one last look Kaoru's way. Enishi flashed him a mischievous grin and he hugged Kaoru closely and pressed a kiss to her temple in spite. Kenshin glared at him hatefully before he turned around and followed Tomoe to class.

Kaoru choose her books for class and after she slightly fluffed her hair to the side, Enishi leaned close and whispered in her ear.

"He couldn't keep his eyes off of you. It was like Cupid shot him with an arrow."

With a soft smile, she sighed at the chuckle escaping her best friend's mouth.

"He wants you so badly it's driving him insane."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kenshin's eyes couldn't stop looking at her. He tried to immerse himself in writing poetry, but everything he seemed to write ended up about the blue-eyed goddess that he had let loose from his life. The way she laughed within her group and the way she flashed beautiful smiles constantly sent his mind reeling. He never regretted his decision more that during these moments.

And through everything—every laugh, every smart comment, every smile—she didn't spare him a glance. Not even a flick of her eyes was sent his way. It was almost as if he didn't exist. Hannya, Chou, and Souzou were almost like her boyfriends with the way they laughed with her and hugged her with love. With each hand they held or with every door they opened for her, it boiled Kenshin's blood to see and know that he couldn't do anything to stop it. Kaoru wasn't going for him any longer. Truly, she had made up her mind.

But what relieved him greatly was the fact that Aoshi was speaking to him again. He had stopped him in the hallway and ruffled his intense red hair as he told him that he couldn't hate his best friend forever and that he truly missed laughing through their window. He could have hugged Aoshi as tightly as he could in the hallway, but because of his reputation and text him, '**tight hug. Ilu bro**', and they continued their school day living up to their status.

Kaoru shined like a star through the hallways and by gym class, her fan base had tripled. Amethyst eyes watched as Hannya and Aoshi held their new princess up and spun her around until she was high with laughter and stumbling over her feet. The whole group's laughter boomed through as Enishi caught her and held her up as she flipped them the finger and laughed at the joke Misao threw out.

For the first time in his life, Kenshin felt... lost.

'_She's gotten over me like I was nothing... I know I did this for a reason, but...man this __**SUCKS!**_'

By the end of the day, Kaoru was making plans with Hannya and Souzou for dinner and she was setting up star watching on the soccer field at midnight. She slipped into the car with Enishi laughing and making faces at Misao and as Kenshin brought his car to life, he watched as her car left the parking lot and disappeared from sight. He felt numb as he drove to soccer practice and he quickly got dressed and on the field. When six thirty hit to leave practice, he left without a word and drove home as quickly as he could.

"Kenshin, you're home—what's the matter?" Concern instantly flooded through Chi-Mae, but Kenshin ignored her as he quickly went to his room and locked his door. He dove into his bed and as he turned to lay on his side, he stared blankly at the wall.

He wouldn't dare admit it to Aoshi, but as he watched Kaoru move and flow and sparkle like the precious diamond she was... his heart ached for her. It longed to pull her into his arms and hide away from the public eye as he kissed her breathless and ran his fingers through her silky hair.

'_This feels almost worse than when Tomoe cheated on me..._' His fingers clenched and unclenched and amethyst eyes blinked slowly as he fought to control the pain he felt when his heart slowly beat inside his chest. Lyrics and poetry flooded his mind and as the sun slowly faded into the oncoming darkness, he felt more hollow than before as he fell asleep.

'_I watch from afar, you shine and soar,_

_My heart thuds romantically; you __**are**__ the one I adore,_

_But our eyes never meet as you easily ignore_

_So now, mighty heart, what are we fighting for?_'

* * *

For the next week, he was shut out. At her opening soccer appearance, she shined like a star and she scored three goals before helping three more teammates score as well. Kenshin sat in the crowd and cheered everybody on, even Kaoru and Tomoe, but because of their circumstances, she ignored him and jumped into Enishi's arms. He couldn't help the jealousy that pooled through him as Hannya came up and she then jumped into his and cuddled. He gave Tomoe a smile and congratulated her with a hug, but he couldn't help but drift back to the star of the team as she laughed and smiled and took pictures with her "crew".

In school, she came in every day looking **gorgeous. **To **die** for, even. Lips were always glossed to perfection, her hair was amazing, skin flawless and smooth, and her smile dazzling Even with her messy curls and her sleepy smile on the third day of the week, she still managed to look like a jewel. She had boys moving like lost puppies whenever she passed and when Kenshin saw her, he had to hold his jaw in place before it could fall.

And through all of his mayhem that she was causing with her overall being, she didn't spare him a glance. **Nothing** was thrown in his direction. Even the people sitting next to him got smiles and greetings in the classes that they shared. Aoshi smirked each moment he saw the redhead give a sad sigh and he would sometimes send Hannya to hug Kaoru and spin around with her to get a rise out of his best friend. He never acted on the impulse to strangle the Shinomori, though it flooded his mind and made his fingers curl in anticipation.

Friday was the day that Kenshin got tired of being ignored. Aoshi watched in the empty hallway as he shoved his fist into his locker and cursed loudly.

"Sucks, huh?" Kenshin's eyes turned quickly to see Aoshi walking towards him and he sighed in annoyance as he put his hand up and shut his eyes.

"I don't need to hear it again, Aoshi. I've already heard it."

"I wasn't going to say it again," the icy eyed teen replied. "I was just going to rub your knuckles, dearest."

"Oh, thanks, baby." Kenshin rolled his eyes. "I _love_ how you care." Aoshi watched as he 'humphed and slid to the floor with another sad, yet adorable, pout. He began to draw little patterns on the tile next to him and Aoshi couldn't help but feel a fraction of sadness for him as he sighed and pulled his knees to his chest. He crouched down to run a hand through his hair and then shake it up a little bit.

"I did it for all the right reasons... but I regret it now." Silence hung through the hallway and Kenshin looked up to his best friend with dark purple eyes.

"Help me."

"... What?"

"Help me!" he repeated again and he jumped up, nearly knocking the tall man off balance. "Tell me what I should do to get back to look at me again. I'll do anything!"

His spirit began to lift as Aoshi opened his mouth to speak, but--

"No."

--it was crushed almost instantly. Kenshin looked at the tall male in shock. "What do you mean '**no**'?"

"Just like I said. **NO**. I've already done my part in the beginning and you fucked up. Why should I help you again? So you can repeat your steps and try to break this girl? I told you before, Kenshin. You blew it away. The smooth blending is gone now. And I'm not interfering to help anymore. I'm a bad best friend for this, but... I want you to keep suffering for your stupid mistakes."

Kenshin gaped like a fish and as Aoshi stood to full height, his anger shot through him as he began to yell.

"So what the hell did you come over here for?! To mock me or something?! You came to harass me, Aoshi?! Why even entertain it?!"

"Hey, don't take it out on me--"

"Argh, just shut the 'F' up!" Aoshi widened his eyes as Kenshin turned around, grabbed his book bag and slung it over one shoulder as he stormed off.

"I'll remember that in bed tonight!"

"Yeah, well fuck you too!" Kenshin barked over his shoulder. "I got my hand; I don't need you! And I'll show you what I'm gonna do to win her back too! I'll go to someone else with this!"

He kept walking until he got to the door and then he turned around and flipped the snickering teen with his middle finger.

"And I'll tell my mom not to make you any food for the rest of the month too! So laugh at that!" Aoshi stopped instantly and Kenshin instantly ran as the other boy started to chase him and tell him to wait.

'_I can't believe I'm gonna do this, but I have to ask somebody for this... This is gonna bite me in the ass later._'

* * *

"So you want my help, huh? (laughs) You've gotta be kidding me."

Kenshin sighed and as he looked around the dance studio in the basement of the school, he couldn't help but let out a low whistle at the awards and trophies placed in the walls above the floor for safe keeping.

'_This place looks really good from last year,'_ he thought quietly to himself before he heard more laughter and turned his eyes and focused on the task at hand.

"Please, Enishi." he quietly began, "I can't go to anybody else. Nobody knows her more than you do. I just... I want to make things right."

Enishi raised his leg up onto the bar by the mirror and with grace, he leaned his body forward and softly held his toes. His eyes remained shut with a peaceful expression before he let out a soft sigh.

"And why should I help you, huh? So you can just have her as some kind of trophy on your arm like all the other guys?... You're more shallow than I thought."

"That's not what I mean," Kenshin said raising his voice. "And you know it." Enishi continued to ignore him and Kenshin shifted his book bag in agitation before Enishi slid to the floor and reached for the mirror with his legs apart.

"You're a joke, Himura."

"I did it because I didn't want the fighting to continue! I... I figured if maybe I stopped talking to Kaoru and trying to date her, that Aoshi and Sano would calm down and both of our groups could coexist without as much problems as we're having now."

Kenshin sighed in sadness and as he spun his toe on the ground, he nibbled on his lower lip. "I didn't think that I'd miss her laugh and her smile and her... _everything_ as much as I do now... She doesn't even talk to me..."

Enishi understood every word that Kenshin was saying and he felt a little bad at the way the red-head stood behind him spilling how he felt. He understood that the red-head sacrificed his love so the many people that were Preps and Punks could go back to the slight calm that they had before. He even held a slight respect for Kenshin now that he explained his reasoning. But, because Enishi didn't really like the teen, he held it in and chose a different path. Piercing eyes shot into the mirror so he could look at Kenshin's reflection.

"I don't care if two countries were fighting, Kenshin. You shouldn't have done that to Kaoru. And now that you see her true beauty... you want to try and regain what you once could have gotten before. You're not selfish enough for yourself, and because of that, you will suffer. You won't get Kaoru back because she's moving ahead without you. I'm glad she's a strong girl. She doesn't need weak men like you."

Kenshin glared hatefully at him and as Enishi flipped to his feet, Kenshin made his way to the door while the blonde raised his leg high in the air.

"I'll show you and Aoshi both what I can do." Kenshin confidently spoke as he cracked the door a little. "Just you wait. It'll only take me a week."

Enishi snorted. "Yeah, and I'm into boys."

"I dunno," Kenshin said with a teasing grin. "You could be a pretty one."

He dodged a shoe flung his way with a laugh before shutting the door behind him and whistling cheerfully as he made his way down the hallway. A vibration from his phone made him look down immediately and as he continued to stroll and and whistle, he collided with somebody staring down at their phone as well. Their phones clattered and immediately he shot down.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention and I was too wrapped up in my cell phone. I hope yours isn't bro...ken..."

As he looked up, amethyst eyes met amazing sapphire and his whole world immediately began to slow down. There, in front of him, stood Kaoru Kamiya in her the "beautiful flesh" (as Kenshin was thinking). Her curves stood out to his eyes immediately with her tight shirt and slightly baggy short-shorts. But, what made him really pause was the surprise in her face at actually seeing him. '_My face is probably the same way._'

The silence was eating away at him and his heart began to flutter anxiously in his chest as their eyes held each others gaze and refused to break.

"Hey, Kaoru." he finally said after another minute or two.

"...Himura."

Immediately, he winced at the way her tone was cold and almost uncaring. He gave her a soft smile before he saw her hand rise up, her eyebrow arched as she flexed her fingers.

"My phone?"

"Your... Oh! Yes, I'm sorry." He shoved his phone into his pocket and he slowly reached his hang over before placing Kaoru's phone in her hand. Their skin met by just a brush, but instead of pulling away like Kaoru wanted, Kenshin's other hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. Their eyes met and just as she was going to bark, Kenshin surprised her by slowly taking each of her fingers and making them gently cover the phone. His touch made her eyes flash in confusion and when her pinky covered the cellular device, Kenshin moved closer and leaned down so their noses were barely touching. Kaoru's heart began to beat faster and harder in her chest.

"Kaoru..." he said softly as held her cheek gently and stroked his thumb along her smooth skin. "You're still becoming the light of my life..."

Her heart felt like it would suddenly stop as he slowly leaned in closer and gave her a kiss that sent her on the fritz. It was like a wave rushed through them both as he pulled away and gave her this time a chaste kiss. He backed away and with a sexy grin, he bid her farewell and continued to whistle as he made his way down the hallway.

'_How the hell does he do that?!_' she screamed in her head as she finally figured out how to use her legs. She made her way into the dance room Enishi was waiting in and as he watched her move around, he saw her mind was running while she touched her toes and threw her hair into a ponytail.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she stood in front of the mirror and shoved her fingers into her pocket.

"Nothing, babes." she replied as she turned to flash him a soft, yet peaceful smile. "Just saw a familiar face. Let's dance, shall we?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When the weekend hit, Kenshin was ecstatic to put his '**Operation: Kaoru Kamiya**' into motion. His notebook was filled with his different ideas, songs, and poetry to use for his 'master plan'. While waiting for dinner that night, Aoshi sat in his living room reading his latest homework assignment and glancing every now and then at the ecstatic red-head write and erase different things in his notebook.

"You're seriously mapping this shit out."

"Yes." Kenshin said without looking up. "I am." Aoshi chuckled softly before shutting his book and leaning over the table so the red-head could see him.

"I know a way that you could start." Kenshin's pen slowed down to a stop before he sighed and ignored the tall teen's humming.

"And just how could I start, Aoshi?"

"By going with me tonight to a club."

"Dear husband of mine," Kenshin began as he started to write again. "I'm not going to a club just because you want to go out and _live_ the life of a rock star."

Aoshi rolled his eyes as leaned back into his seat and threw his arms behind his head. "I was simply saying that you should go because **Kaoru** is going to be there."

Kenshin's pen paused again and Aoshi smirked as he watched Kenshin lean back and cross his arms.

"She is?"

"Yup." he replied with a nod. "She's the one who told all of us about it. It's like three towns over, but I heard that it's awesome. They barely card you for drinks and the music is great too."

Kenshin gave Aoshi a look at his 'card' comment, but he 'hmm'ed to himself as he thought about what to do. '_Should I go, should I not go... this would be a perfect opportunity to watcher so she doesn't get in trouble. She is a party girl... but, she probably won't even want to dance with me. She still hates me... then again, it's a party. I haven't gone to one in a while... but, what about my homework..._'

Aoshi's smirk slowly began to fall as the red-head continued to hum in thought and he rolled his eyes before standing up and pulling Kenshin to his feet. "Hey!"

"You're going. Final answer." Kenshin smiled as Aoshi dragged him up the steps and immediately went to his room and inside the closet.

'_I love Aoshi._' he laughed internally as the "King" slid his clothes left to right and began to throw things in his direction.

"Start getting dressed in a few things," the tall male told him as he went to sit at his laptop, "And I'll tell you if it's a hit or miss. We got three hours before we leave."

Kenshin stripped his shirt and Aoshi watched him slide his shirt over washboard abs. He smirked and as he gave a whistle, Kenshin blushed in embarrassment and gave him the finger. "Stop it, you pervert."

"But we're married." Aoshi said in a perverted voice.

"I can't watch my husband? Take that shirt off, by the way. I hate it." Kenshin couldn't help but bust out in laughter as he tossed his shirt towards Aoshi's face and picked another shirt up. Only one thing rang through his mind as he tossed two more shirts and finally found one that his best friend appreciated.

'_Tonight should be exciting._'

* * *

"Woohoo! This club is alive tonight! What's the name of this place, Kaoru?!"

"...Club **Puccho!"**

"What a name!"

Enishi held Kaoru's hand as they walked down the steps to the dance floor and he couldn't help but cheer and give her an excited grin. She returned it as she flipped her hair over to the side and she tightened her hold in his hand. Her outfit caught many eyes and she proudly let the world know that she was one of the hottest, if not the top, girls in the room. Simple light violet heels covered her feet and green harem pants with a glitter sash around her hips. Her top was a light violet tank top with a slight V-cut and a green studded vest.

"Baby, you look so unique! I love it!" Kaoru gave Enishi a dazzling smile and smirked at his outfit. He wore light gray jeans, bright green suspenders, a striped gray and blue shirt, and on his feet were a pair of Nike blazers that had his name on the side with matching outfit colors. She laughed at the way he pushed his glasses up on his eyes and gave a nerdy snort.

"We're taking this place by storm tonight!" he declared and she cheered before pulling her hair up into a mid-way ponytail. Her curly strands hung over her shoulder and the duo hung their jackets up before Enishi pulled her out into the party. Immediately, the two began to dance and loose themselves into the pulse and the sounds of _"Down"_by **Jay Sean.**

"Drinks in ten?" he asked as she put her arms over his shoulders. "Hell yeah."

* * *

An hour later, Kenshin looked around in wonder as he descended the steps with his best friend, his best friend's girlfriend, and some of their crew. The amount of bodies dancing around and gyrating was enormous and immediately he tried to spot out Kaoru. Girls whistled at him as he stopped to show his wrist band he received at the door and he shot them all flirtatious grins out of playfulness. Black fitted jeans sat on his hips and he wore a white Nike sleeveless top with a tube shaped collar.

"You look hot, kid." Aoshi chuckled and Kenshin rolled his eyes playfully before they walked across the bar and to the balcony to see if they could spot their friends through the party.

"I see Chou!" Misao jumped happily. "He's wearing a hood."

"I see Shishou and his girl." Hannya chuckled while leaning against the railing. "They're dancing horribly on purpose again."

Kenshin grinned at Hannya's comment and his eyes looked around again before he widened his eyes as he spotted the girl who remained on his mind.

"I found Kaoru and Enishi." he finally said and Aoshi quickly went to him with Hannya and Misao before he pointed to help. They widened their eyes as well before Aoshi whistled and fanned himself.

"Man. Enishi is one lucky M.F."

The Jamaican dancehall music through the room and guys watched in envy and lust as Kaoru and Enishi danced to the beat seductively. Their hips rolled against each other as they winded and grinded to the music and had fun. Kaoru smirked and as she looked up onto the balcony, she finally saw Aoshi and gave a wave. Enishi looked over her shoulder and he then waved as well before she looked over at Kenshin. She could clearly see the want in his eyes and she smirked at him before turning to face Enishi and pushing him backwards until he hit the wall. Enishi's eyes lit up with excitement before Kaoru put her hands on his chest and proceeded to dance her body into the floor in front of him. Her hands slid with her movements and he bit his lip at the provocative way she touched his thighs and then worked her way back up. He quickly grabbed her arms and their dance resumed as Kaoru laughed and he held her hips.

"Whoa." Hannya exclaimed and he stretched his arms before turning to leave. "Where are you going?"

"To get a piece of that, duh." Kenshin glared at his retreating form before Aoshi demanded they all go to party. Kenshin decided to enjoy himself and Misao cheered him on as he started to dance and a girl immediately came to his hips. Aoshi was, surprisingly, dancing to the beat and he looked... **Good.** Misao admired the way the tall teen made his movements look cool enough for guys to watch him a little and nod their heads at the punk.

"Sexy boy." she said to herself with a laugh before he pulled her towards him and they started to dance as well.

Enishi left Kaoru to get drinks, but she couldn't feel lonely at all as another guy came up to her and asked for a dance with the music changing again. It was at this time she decided to use her looks to her advantage.

"Wanna get me a drink?" she asked as she ran her fingers through short blonde hair and bit her lip. He couldn't help but nod and take her for whatever drink she wanted. Kenshin caught glances of her going to the bar and after five times, he realized there was a problem.

'_She's getting drunk off her ass._' Enishi saw Kenshin watching and he teased him with a grin before Hannya made his way to Kaoru and spun her around. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and her eyes were electric as he pulled her to him and swayed his hips against hers. Kaoru threw her arms into the air with a cheer and without hesitation, Hannya pulled her hand behind his head. She danced without care and the music continued to change as the two laughed and spun around.

"Where's Souzou?!"

"Punishment!" she pouted, but quickly smiled as the two separated and Enishi pulled her away towards him.

"Drink?"

"Yeah!" she exclaimed and he let her drink the rest of what was in his glass. Aoshi came from behind Kaoru and slung his arms over her shoulders as he leaned down to her ear.

"You're on fire." he whispered and she could only laugh and hug his arms close to her.

"This is what I do best!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kaoru continued to dance and to Kenshin's dismay (and now Aoshi as the redhead pointed out) to drink. Whether it be from random guys she asked or from Enishi, her throat could barely feel the burn as the liquor slid down her throat. Enishi wasn't any better.

"Come here, Kaoru." he called and Kaoru walked with him to the bathroom hallway. He leaned against the wall and when he made sure nobody was watching them, he pulled out a small bottle. Her eyes lit up as he moved to hover over her.

"You know what this is." he whispered hotly in her ear and she could only nod as he unscrewed the bottle and he drank half. "Drink."

His eyes never left hers as he put the small bottle to her lips and watched her swallow every drop left. His eyes caught a drop about to fall and he quickly kissed her to save the drop from being wasted. Kaoru slung her arms around his neck and he could only hold her hips as their kiss deepened dramatically.

"Let's go back out." Enishi pulled her by the hand and she could immediately feel the effects of what she just drank as the room spun a little bit and everything felt suddenly heightened. The two danced wild with the music and once he saw a circle of dancers, he quickly left Kaoru to herself as he jumped into a small dance competition going on in the center.

"Found them finally." Kenshin said as he pointed the two people out. Their eyes had been scanning the room for the two once they lost track and relief flooded through them as they made sure the two were still in the room.

"Watch this kid." Aoshi told Kenshin as the two stood on the balcony to get some air and relax for the moment. Kenshin arched his eyebrow but agreed anyway as the music changed Enishi began to dance. Each movement was smooth and almost like an art as he showed off his skills and danced the other guy to shame. He even stuck his tongue out as he spun around and showed his backside.

"So fresh." Aoshi chuckled as Kenshin laughed. Their eyes turned to see Kaoru once again downing another drink and putting her arm in the air as she shook her hips with Misao. The smaller girl was trying to pull the cup from her hands through their movements, but Kaoru quickly downed her drink and pulled away to go back and dance.

"That is **not** good." Kenshin said loud enough for Aoshi to hear. "She's on a roll." he looked down to read a text message from his mother and once he looked back up, Aoshi whistled and pointed to where she was at the moment.

"...She is on **FIRE**. Holy shit."

Kaoru's vest was long gone, but she barely cared as she threw her arms above her head and danced on the tall podium with three other girls. It didn't matter who they were or where they were from. All that mattered was dancing and feeling the music electrify her veins. Kenshin wanted to desperately pull her down and take her home, but he knew she wouldn't come near him.

"How can I keep her at bay for a while?" Aoshi looked at the worry in Kenshin's eyes and he sighed as he pulled his skull-cap from his pocket and placed it on Kenshin's head.

"Hide your hair and go dance with her. Just dance the way she does. You can be just as seductive as Enishi is. That will keep her from moving. Enishi's battling and she wants a dance. That's it."

Kenshin nodded and he quickly left the balcony to grab the girl just as she was getting down. Kaoru turned to look at him and flashed him a sexy, yet drunk smile. Inside he was screaming at how stupid she was and how she should go home, but he quickly played his part and smiled as she arched an eyebrow.

"Dance with me." Through her drunken haze, she could barely recognize those eyes. '_I know him form somewhere... who is he... ah, who cares._'

"Hope you can move." she taunted and Kenshin pulled her to a good space before the two immediately began to dance. Misao hugged Aoshi around the waist as he kissed her forehead and the two watched to see Kenshin keeping Kaoru with him by his moves.

"I just hope he can keep her." Misao said with a whine. "She's scaring me."

"Me too." Aoshi replied with honesty. "Me too."

* * *

Kenshin, as much as he hated to admit, loved the way her body felt against his as they danced to the beat and he held her hands in his. Black strands of hair pooled over her shoulder and she kissed his forearm as he breathed softly onto her neck. '_Whatever holds her here._' he told himself to keep control. '_She's drunk. Don't take advantage._'

Songs passed by, both slow and fast, but the two remained in tune with each others bodies and Kaoru couldn't find a reason to leave him. '_He's good..._' she slurred in her mind and as she saw Enishi waving her over to him, her mind quickly snapped out of the focus of his hips and pulled away.

"I gotta go..." she said and Kenshin frowned at her slight slur.

"What's wrong?"

"Enish's callin' me..." Kenshin pouted but she pressed a kiss to his lips as a goodbye. The taste of alcohol made him cringe inside, but he managed to press his lips back to not show rejection. Heated eyes watched her leave his side and all he could do was curse while her hips swung and her ponytail swung.

"Dammit."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Where the hell is she?"

On the balcony, the whole emo/punk group that was in the club scanned the club for Kaoru with Kenshin. After five songs, nobody spotted her and they were growing worried as to her whereabouts. The bass made his feel twitch in anticipation to move, but he refused as he continued to look around for the newly named "Party Queen" (Chou and Hannya gave her the name).

"See her?"

"No." Aoshi said with a sigh. "Her vest is gone, so it's harder now." Kenshin frowned, but as his eyes did another scan, he finally saw her. His mind felt as if it were shutting down.

"That bastard!" he yelled and Aoshi told him to wait as he ran as fast as he could down the steps and to the other stairs that led to the entrance of the club. Aoshi saw his reasoning and he cursed before he ran with Hannya and told the others to stay. Hannya took a detour to grab her jacket. Outside, Kaoru felt as if somebody were talking from far away, even though she was walking right behind the person. It was almost like he was talking from the other end of a tunnel.

"Where'm I goin..." Kaoru managed to ask as a man she never met before held her hand and led her to the outside.

"Just taking you home is all." he replied and he smirked as she said, "My car..."

"You won't need it." Her mind screamed danger, but she could barely feel her legs moving, let alone pull her arm.

"Lemme go.." she demanded with a slur and she tried to pull her arm. It didn't help as he pulled her again and she almost fell forward. He unlocked his black car with a grin and just as he was putting her into his passenger side, he heard somebody yelling their way.

"**KAORU! KAORU WHERE ARE YOU?!**"

Kenshin's legs moved quickly as he ran down the street towards the parking lot looking for her. He stopped directly in the middle and as he panted and looked for a direction, he got his sign as he saw a car being opened towards the end. He yelled her name again as he ran down to the end and he saw the man trying to push her into his car. Her arms held the side as she shook her head and tried to slide backwards.

The next few moments felt like a blackout to Kenshin because all he could remember is rushing to the car and suddenly being pulled away from a man's bloody face by Aoshi. His eyes were bright gold and his fists were red with splotches of blood as he panted and wiped them against his shirt.

"Let me go." he growled as tried to attack the man once more and get past his best friend.

"Are you in there?! Kenshin, can you hear me?!" his face was slapped and he immediately snapped out of his daze before he looked down at his hands and widened his eyes at the state they were in.

'_Did I just do this?_'

Kenshin watched the man on the floor groan in pain and attempt to rise to his feet. Anger quickly surged through him again and Aoshi held him tighter and demanded for Hannya to move the beaten man.

"Just put the sicko in his car!" Hannya threw him inside his backseat with his keys and shut the doors. Kaoru could barely understand what was going on and as Aoshi shook Kenshin with force and made sure he was in the right state of mind, Hannya went over to Kaoru and looked at her for a moment. Kenshin broke free from Aoshi's hold and moved Hannya aside as he held Kaoru's face and checked to see if she was alright.

"Did he touch you?" Kaoru could only shake her head after he said it slower a second time and he pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Take her with you. I'm going for Enishi."

Kenshin nodded and he pulled Kaoru's keys from Hannya's hands and scooped her up into his arms. He walked as fast as he could and once he placed her inside and strapped her in, they were on the move from the parking lot and towards the highway they took as a quicker route. Hazy blue eyes looked around the car, but couldn't recognize it at all. They then turned to Kenshin and watched as he pulled the hat from his head and threw it in the backseat. '_I know who this is... I know..._'

"Ken...shin?"

His eyes turned her way and his sad smile was the last thing she remembered before she blacked out.

* * *

**R.S.:** Finally finished it! Man, college work is giving me such a beating haha. Sorry it's been such a long time; I feel horrible! The next chapter is already written and our fellow red-head might finally snap! Til next time!

**Love,**

**R.S.**


	12. The Resurrection part two

**R.S.:** Hey everyone! Happy Holidays! Here's another update before Christmas :). Sorry this one's shorter than the rest =P

I've been writing this story outta loop. Instead of writing in one straight path, i'm writing out whichever scene appears in ma head the best. It's confusing, but it's working. Which is weird. But oh well haha.

Enjoy this chapter! A breakthrough happens!

* * *

that's right, i love you. i always believe in you.  
dreams and passions, i want to give them all to you  
i'm a good luck goddess that wants (wants) to make your wish come true  
tell me your wish (i'm genie for you, girl)

– "**Genie(translated version)" **by _Girls Generation_

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_

_**By: Ramapaging Sorrow**_

_**Chapter 9 (Part two): The Resurrection of Love**_

'_Ugh, my head feels like a drum set It feels like it's going to shatter... What the hell did I do last night?_'

Light blue eyes fluttered painfully as she felt a hangover that could drop an elephant to its knees. It caused her to curse and grab her head. The room was spinning and spiraling and she could barely focus on anything as she forced her mind to stop its rotation and actually _relax._ Black hair hung like a curtain over her face and slowly, she pulled it back to look around her room...But, there was a problem.

"This isn't my room..." '_Oh god..._'

Quickly, she looked under the sheets to see and feel that nobody had touched her. Black shorts and a matching tee hid her slim body and she laid back against dark blue pillows as she tried to figure out where she was and and what might have happened the night before.

"I'm not raped, there are no bruises... and somebody else changed me... Where the hell** am** I..." Her eyes darted around and analyzed the area that she was held in.

'_Okay, let's see... Dark blue walls, a nook with trophies and medals, certificates, a bulletin board with photos, a red-head sleeping at a desk, a guitar..._

'_W-wait a minute. Rewind, Kao. Rewind._'

Kaoru looked over at the desk and she gasped in horror as she saw Kenshin sleeping at his desk in his pajamas. His arms cradled his forehead and his back rose and fell in steady breaths. Next to him were folded clothes, **her** folded clothes, and her wallet and car keys. He continued to sleep while she held her face and she pulled at her hair with a silent scream.

'_How the hell did this happen?! _' Her eyes continued to stare at him while she remembered—tried to, anyway—what happened the night before.

Coming up with a blank, Kaoru frowned at the realization that she was over and beyond intoxication the night before. She had hit the **black out** stage.

'_This isn't very good, Kaoru._' she mentally scolded herself. '_Not good at all._'

Her legs quickly and quietly slipped off his bed and she smiled at the black socks that kept her feet warm. '_He took his time to make sure I was well dressed for sleep._' Slowly, she crept to the desk and she softly wrapped her fingers around her belongings. Quickly, she pulled them to her chest. Kenshin began to stir.

'_SHIT!_' Her whole body froze as she stared at the red-head and watched him groan and slowly move. '_Please don't wake up, please don't wake up..._'. He gave another low groan and turned his head to the side.

With a deep sigh, he slipped back into the realm of dreams. Inside, Kaoru cried at how lucky she was at that moment. As she turned to the door to leave, her mind had a different plan and she watched as her pale fingers reach out. They gently brushed the tan skin on his cheek. His lips were slightly parted in sleep to breathe and as Kaoru traced his nose, he let out a short breath and his eyebrows furrowed. She couldn't help but smile.

"What are you dreaming about, silly boy..." her voice softly said to him. She pulled his bangs from his face and gave a soft sigh. "You're such a faithful boy." Lightly, she scratched his scalp and as she pulled his bangs again, the tense look his face turned peaceful.

"I really like you..." she whispered and then she couldn't help but giggle lightly as his lips formed into a smile. "That means you like me too."

She released his hair and she moved to his slightly ajar door before blowing a kiss his way and slipping through the door. Without even taking the time to look at his home, she quickly found the steps, raced down and moved through the back door to get outside. She ran straight into her car and once she dove inside, she started the engine and drove as fast as she could to get home.

'_I am so screwed..._'

* * *

"Enishi! Where the hell are you?!"

She marched with force through the entrance hall and she ascended the steps with a force that echoed through the halls. Storming down the hallway she demanded his presence again and she swung her door open before shutting it behind her and walking up the steps. As she got ready to scream, one look at him made it die in her throat. Her phone book sat in his lap and he flipped through pages, tears fresh in his eyes and a shaky voice speaking to the phone that he held to his ear.

"No, she's not answering the phone, Souzou. I don't know where she is... I've been looking for two hours now... I can't even remember what happened last night... Am I scared? Yes! How can I not be?! She's my sister... I'll die if she got hurt. It's all my fault..."

Kaoru couldn't help but softly smile at the way he put his hand over his eyes to hold back his tears of frustration or worry. It made her feel reassured that he cared about her and that he truly didn't abandon her the night before. Enishi let out a long groan and it turned into a whimper.

"Hey," she said softly to catch his attention. He paused immediately and removed his hand before hanging up without warning and jumping to his feet. She smiled a little bit wider as he rushed to her and pulled her into his arms for a tight hug.

"I called everyone," he said into her hair. "Everyone in the group and beyond looking for you. I was so worried."

"I'm okay." she softly replied and he cradled her head in his arms as he sighed in relief and he kissed her forehead. "You gave me a heart attack." He began to examine her face and she let him brush off stray strands of dust. Her fingers went to his chest and she instantly felt the rapid slamming of his heart against his ribcage. It was slowing steadily underneath her touch and he let out another 'thank god,' before pulling her back into a tight hug. She felt his warm breath in her hair and allowed his panic mode to calm down.

'_Never again._' he said to himself. '_Never again._' Kaoru smiled in his sleeve at his care and Enishi then took her clothes and sat them on the chair he was using before. She watched him freeze as he stared at the clothes and then looked at her. Inwardly, she groaned at what was about to happen.

"Where were you?" he asked as he turned her cell phone on and plugged it into the charger. "You don't own **anything** black and solid." Kaoru twiddled her thumbs as he opened up her closet and began to remove his clothing for sleep.

"I was at Kenshin's house."

The shirt sliding above washboard ans froze and Kaoru continued to nervously twiddle her thumbs. 'H_ere it comes..._'

"You _**what?!**_"

"I woke up and was at Kenshin Himura's house. " Enishi let his shirt fall to the floor and he turned to grab Kaoru and fully look at her.

"The fuck did he know we were—is he stalking you? Huh? Is he stalking you?!"

"N-No—what are you doing?!" Enishi held the retreating girl and he started to pull her shirt up. "**Enishi!**"

"Who changed you? Huh? Did that son of a bitch touch you?!"

"I don't even know—"

"This is what desperate boys do in this town?" he growled to himself as he pulled her shorts low and examined her hip. "They take advantage and try to hump drunk girls?"

Kaoru shoved him onto the bed and gave him a vicious glare. "He wouldn't do that and you know it. I woke up and he was sleeping at his desk. What perverted rapist sleeps there fully clothed?" Enishi remained quiet as she scolded him.

"He even had my clothes folded and water by the bed for when I woke up. I don't remember what happened last night, but he probably saved me from a one-night-stand or even worse."

Without looking at the fuming teen, Kaoru went to her desk and she sat down while unlocking her phone and flipped her hair from her face. Light blue eyes rolled around to stop the fuzzy spots that were appearing and she saw that she missed **sixty-seven** phone calls from everybody, forty coming from Enishi. Glancing over at him, she made a mental note to treat him for his troubles. '_He deserves the world..._'

She then went to her inbox and after rolling through the 30 'Where are you' messages from random people, she stopped at a message from the boy who gave her his bed during her drunken state. "Kenshin text me at two in the morning..." Enishi rose to his feet and he leaned over her shoulder to start reading. She gave him a dry look.

"What? I wanna know." "Ugh." she 'hmph'ed and the two gave each other soft smiles before she opened the message up.

'**From: !Ken-Ken! 2:15 am**

**Subject: Last Night**

_ Hey, Kaoru. When you probably read this, you'll most likely be back in your room and I'll be still sleeping at my desk._

_Last night was...You shocked me. I remember you saying you liked to party, but that was a whole different side of partying from you._

_ You had a lot to drink. I didn't want to watch you the whole night, but after you downed like three shots in ten minutes I couldn't help it. You got everyone to give you a drink (everyone you asked or danced with anyway) and you danced the night away. You even had, if I recall, a shot of something other than alcohol and that just took the cake. I think that was when you and Enishi lost each other._

_The reason that you woke up in my bed with my clothes on is because around 1:10-1:15ish, I lost you. I had made sure to dance with you and keep you with me for as long as I could, but—whatever. You got lost. When I found you, some punk was trying to take you home. I ran when I saw him pulling you up the steps and when I found at his car, I don't even really remember what happened. I know that I did beat the shit out of that guy though. It's just... fuzzy. I can't remember when I first hit him or anything after that until Aoshi pulled me away._

_I drove your car and you barely even knew what was going on. You passed out when we were on the highway. I changed you at my house because when we got inside the back door and into the kitchen, you threw up. In my garbage, on the floor, on your clothes **and** my clothes—it was just an awful moment. You were a complete mess. I would have called my mom for help, but I didn't want her to see you in that kind of state or as that kind of girl because you're not. You're amazing._

_Anyways, please don't be mad. I didn't even wash you while you were in the shower. You washed yourself (which impressed me). I only saw arms and legs. I swear._

_You passed out in the bathroom and I almost had a heart attack when I saw your eyes roll and your body begin to fall. I caught you before you fell so no major injuries! :) I put you in my bed, where you are now as I'm texting this to you, and I hope that when you read this you'll feel a little bit better that you were safe and someone you knew had you. You'll probably hate me a little bit more for this, but I still love you. You're still my star._

_See you Monday. And detox your body! You could smell the liquor coming through your hair pores._

**_-Kenshin HZ Himura 3_'**

"Wow..." Enishi whistled as Kaoru closed the message. "We fucked up big time yesterday." Kaoru didn't respond and Enishi left her to her thoughts as he stretched his muscles and got into her bed. She continued to stare at the phone with angrily and right before he dozed off, he could see her eyes water and an angry tear slide down her cheek.

'_Why can't you just throw it all away for me?_' she thought as she chewed on her lip.

'_Why does my heart say **I love you**_?'

* * *

On Monday, the duo strolled into school with the same cool expressions and outfits, and as always they made sure to leave people speechless. Kaoru saw Kenshin at his locker and as she was going to walk and speak to him, Megumi showed up and made her change her mind instantly. She walked past him and flipped her hair over her shoulder without even sparing him a glance.

"There goes Princess **B**." Megumi said with a roll of her eyes and Kenshin smiled at her before shutting his locket. Enishi's face surprised him as he leaned against the sturdy metal waiting patiently.

"Can I speak with you?" he looked annoyed and as Megumi watched Kenshin nod, green eyes looked at the platinum haired teen pull him away.

"Kenshin! Hey!"

"No one needs you ugly, so go get plastic surgery or something." Kenshin flashed her an apologetic grin before Enishi pulled him into the bathroom.

"**SCRAM**." he barked and three of the boys standing around quickly left the room, the door slamming giving a chilling echo. Kenshin stood calmly and as Enishi fidgeted nervously, he arched an eyebrow.

"Is there something you want to tell me--"

His whole body froze as Enishi moved to him and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you so much." he said loud enough for the redhead to hear.

"I was so... so... _**scared**_. I called everybody looking for her. But, just knowing that you took her and monitored her... I owe you a big one."

"You don't owe me." Kenshin replied as Enishi pulled away. "I just did what I would do for someone I really care about. Anybody would."

Enishi sighed deeply and as he moved to the door, he paused and turned back to the relaxed red-head. "Just so you know, everything goes back to normal. She won't talk to you and you're still not supposed to talk to her."

His blood began to boil. "What? You've gotta be kidding me. I saved the girl from a night she didn't need!"

"And I thank you for that. But, keep away from Kaoru. I mean it. You've done your deed, so go on about your life while we do the same."

Kenshin watched him leave and once out of earshot, his fist slammed into the stall door, eyes shifting from violet to gold continuously.

'_I **am** going to win her back. She can't be this fucked up to not talk to me... Right?_'

* * *

She didn't look his way. Not even a glance of her sweet blues was thrown to him. And this time, he could tell she was trying harder. Every text he sent with heart felt words was read and now **fully** ignored. Not even snappy remarks or quotes was returned. He was shocked and disgusted at how ungrateful she was. He played music out her window that night and she didn't even turn on lights. Seth ended up sending him home.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were the same and by Friday, he was angry. Real angry. Even _Aoshi_ was nervous around him as he threw books and beat his locker unmercifully. The slams echoed through the empty hallway they were in. In class, Tomoe tried to comfort him but he gave her a glare that instantly made her back off. His eyes were a bright shade of gold and he cracked his knuckles before angrily drawing in his notebook with a clear black marker.

"Kenshin, you'll have to pay for it--"

"--I'll pay; I don't give a damn." Tomoe was hurt by his tone and quietly said, "okay", before turning away. Sanosuke didn't like his tone one bit and he turned to glare at him.

"Hey, don't take it out on Tomoe. She only wants to help you feel better--" he didn't finish as Kenshin turned to look at him with a harsh look.

"Why don't you just shut the hell up, hmm? I—don't—**CARE!**"

"Mr. Himura," his eyes turned quickly to see his teaching giving him a disapproving look. "Is there an issue you'd like to share with the class?"

"It's nothing that concerns you."

Silence rang through the room as everybody looked at Kenshin in shock. Nobody had _ever_ heard him talk to a teacher that way and to just watch the way he did it so freely was a mouth dropper. Aoshi smirked at the angry look Kenshin had on his face and then he rose from his seat. Kaoru's seat next to him remained empty and he could easily tell it was all apart of her avoidance plan.

"Come on, Himura. You need air."

"Don't tell me what I need." he barked and Aoshi's smirk dropped as he pulled Kenshin from his seat and to the door.

"Shut up and move it." Kenshin snatched his arm out of Aoshi's grip and he slammed the door behind him. Aoshi waved in apology as he left to follow his fuming friend. He watched as the red-head shoved his hands into his pocket and kicked at the floor.

"You need to chill." he lectured as he caught up with him. "Relax your damn nerves." Kenshin didn't answer as they went to the first floor, his eyes saw Kaoru and Enishi laughing and walking their way. Their hands were laced and it almost looked as if they were in a relationship together. Aoshi watched the mad-man next to him flip a switch and he yelled, "**Wait!**", as Kenshin pounced.

Kaoru turned at the yell and almost paled as she saw him coming at a fast speed. Aoshi watched him stop in front of Kaoru and she looked into molten pools of gold before he harshly grabbed her wrist and pulled towards the doors. Aoshi grabbed Enishi as he turned to attack.

"Let me go!" Kaoru demanded and Enishi called out to her as he was pulled the opposite way. Kenshin went straight to the back of the school and once he found a spot against the wall, he shoved her against it. Kaoru tried to hide her fear by glaring angrily at him.

"What's your problem?! Why am I out here like this?!" Kenshin felt the urge to scream loudly and with a lot of effort, he managed to hold it down inside.

"Why won't you look at me?" he finally managed to say. Kaoru could hear every emotion in his voice. The anger, the hurt the frustration, the disappointment—every tone was easily identified. She looked back into his eyes and then quickly looked down again as she saw him still glaring at her.

"Answer me!" he barked and she made her body still as he slammed his palm against the wall next to her head. "Why won't you look at me?!"

Silence hung thick in the air and Kenshin couldn't help but get angrier than before. "You don't even smile my way! I see you every day and you purposefully avoid me! Why?! How much do I have to do to get your damn attention?!"

"You choose your path that day--"

"--And I'm trying to fix it!" he screamed and Kaoru felt her hear speed up as she could hear his fingers begin to curl. '_It's like he wants to hit me._'

"Every-damn-day for the past two weeks! All I've done is bust my ass and pour my heart out into **you**! Do you know how crazy I must look because I can barely sleep? I shut my eyes and all my fucking **dreams** are about you! I can't get you out of my head!

"Do you know how many messages I've sent you?! Huh?! **How many did I send?!**" Kaoru didn't get a chance to let a sentence out.

"I sent **TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY** messages of my heart! And you didn't even give a shit! How rude are you, Kaoru?! Huh?! How heartless can you possibly be?! To have your lapdog dismiss me on Monday like I'm some kid who saved you! Maybe I should have just left you at the party to be a fucking **statistic! **You couldn't even say 'thank you'! Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

Kaoru's heart stung as he spat the words and she refused to cry nor allow her eyes to water as he continued on his rage to her in the quiet area. His eyes were filled with fury and passion for what he was saying and Kenshin's mind had fully shut down. He didn't care that he was hurting her feelings. All he wanted was for her to hear what he had to say. She still didn't answer and roughly, he grabbed her chin and turned her face towards him.

"You **will** look at me." Light blue eyes silently stared into bright gold and slowly, her resolve was breaking under his gaze. She was afraid of how long she'd be able to hold out.

"What should I do to show you that I fucking love you?! Huh, Kaoru?! Tell me so I can do it!" Her lip began to tremble and she held it between her teeth as her heart now pounded against her chest. She could only think one thing as pent up emotions continued to release themselves and she was forced to hear it all.

'_I love him..._'

"How can I show you?! You want me to dance or something? Should I write a book on how I feel? How my nerves are fucked up and how I'm an insomniac because you haunt my dreams every night? Or should I tell someone besides Aoshi? Or maybe... maybe you want me to start a war for you."

Kaoru's eyes widened as he pulled out his cellphone and watched her scroll to Sanosuke's name. "I will tell the whole prep **Union** in my phone that I love you and that I want to be with you. Even my brother will hear about it. I will start a war that will never stop for you right now."

He pressed the button and it began to call Sanosuke's phone. Kaoru quickly reached out and hung up the phone.

"Don't..." she quietly pleaded.

"So what do you want me to do?!" he raged. "I've done almost everything I can! You want to feel how this is ruining me?!" Kaoru began to protest, but Kenshin pushed her hand to his chest. The hard thumping made Kaoru almost break out into tears.

"You feel that?! That's how it's been for fourteen days! I love you and I want you and you won't let me fix the mistake that I've made! But, if I can't have you, none of these other bastards will because I won't have it! I will fight each and every guy I see on your arm. You're mine and mine alone!"

Kaoru felt his harsh breathing and as he tried to calm down, he put his hands on her face to hold her in place. "Do you feel any kind of love for me?" This was the quietest he'd had his voice and he stared at the endless sea of blue.

"Do you still want me?" Kaoru let out a whimper and her grip on his shirt was all he needed for an answer.

Fire erupted through their veins as Kenshin pulled her from the wall and wrapped his arms around her as he brought her into a kiss. Pale arms quickly snaked around his neck and deepened their intimate connection by opening her mouth to him willingly. He cradled her head with one hand and as he pushed her against the hard wall once more, he ignored the scratches against his skin. They could barely think and they could barely breathe. But, neither wanted to part way from each other.

'_I can't let go... I can't let go..._'

With great effort, Kenshin left her mouth to breathe. Kaoru leaned against him and her knees felt weak as her forehead rested against his. Kenshin took her hand and he quickly began to jog.

"Come on... This can't wait anymore." Kaoru kept up with his pace and he led her through the parking lot to his car. Their fingers were woven through together and he pulled away to let her in his car and quickly join as he started the car and sped away. He began to take his car to a local private spot he used to think and immediately the road turned into a dirt trail. The drive was silent and as Kaoru looked over at him, he sought out her hand and immediately held it in his own. His look was confident now and she let out a small breath of awe at the serene look of where the car stopped. Trees surrounded them and the sun lit through various branches to light up the area like little lights.

"Backseat." Kaoru obeyed and Kenshin turned music on before getting out the car and looking around the area to make sure that nobody else was around. Kaoru was in her own little world and quickly snapped out of her daze as the door shut and Kenshin was soon sitting next to her. She admired the way he could easily change moods and now have an overall state of happiness through his eyes. Kenshin pulled her closer and he traced the side of her face with his fingers. It made the left side of her face tingle and she smiled softly as her eyes shut and he kissed her forehead.

"You make me feel so out of the loop... so out of skin..." quietly, he leaned down to her ear and whispered. "you _electrify_ me."

Kaoru met his eyes and Kenshin couldn't help but smile and chuckle at the way her eyes twinkled in the light. Only then did the time seem right for both of them to lean in and share a kiss that made her toes want to curl. The sweet sounds of **Mute Math** and their lips meshing together was all they could hear and it made Kenshin want to almost float in euphoria.

'_I've missed you_.' they both thought. '_I've really missed you._' She almost felt dizzy at the heat that was just simply between their hands.

'_Why can't I just resist? Why is the only one that does this to me?_'

Kenshin pulled away and he grabbed her hips before pulling her to straddle his lap. "Kenshin!" she said in shock. He could only give her a grin and pull her down so that he could whisper in her ear. Her cheeks held a slight pink blush as she closed her eyes and exhaled at the softness in his voice.

"_I really want to show you how much I've missed you_."

* * *

As the songs played and faded into different tracks from different artists, their lips could barely keep off of each other. Shirts had been thrown and tank tops were pulled up high so fingers could roam and brush spots that caused breath to quiver. The seat was pushed back as far as it could go and it was all the room they needed to arch into each other and switch roles from time to time. Their phones were thrown on the floor and each continued to light up with missed calls from respective groups as Kenshin allowed Kaoru to bite on his neck and leave a mark for the world to see.

"A little harder...There you go." her heart sped up at his moan and she sucked innocently before he pulled her away to meet his impatient lips. Minutes rolled by and an hour began to tick away as the temperature between them increased. Kaoru moaned as Kenshin rubbed circles on the skin of her back and the two slowly grinded against each other in bliss. Kaoru held his hair and he couldn't help but chuckle as she shivered and began to pull away. Only then did Kenshin hear his phone ring.

"Aoshi's calling me." he whispered against her lips and she pouted as she picked up his phone and handed it to him.

"Hello?" he finally said. Kaoru leaned against his chest and began to trace stars along his smooth tan skin.

"_Where are you and what did you do with the girl?_" Swollen pink lips curved into a smile and he looked down at Kaoru before tilting her chin up and combing her hair away from her face.

"She's with me. We're... reconnecting." Aoshi chuckled on the other end and said, 'awww', as he heard the sudden silence.

"_Stop making out and come to school again. The groups are getting antsy._" Kaoru pulled away before telling him to give them twenty minutes. They both hung up immediately and Kenshin sighed as they laid against each other and enjoyed the warmth they gave to each other.

"I really missed you." he admitted again into her hair. "I hated these past two weeks. But... i'm happy now. You're mine." Kaoru grinned with a blush and she curled in closer to twiddle his red strands that covered his chest.

"I didn't delete any of the messages you sent me... They're all in a file on my laptop. And sometimes, I read them and they've made me smile late at night." Kenshin kissed her forehead before the two began to get dressed again and sit back in the front seat. Kaoru kissed his knuckles the whole ride back.

* * *

"So, twenty girls asked me to strip today Misao."

"What?! Who are these little whores?!"

"How should I know? They just were random. Wanted photos of _The King_ in his natural state, I guess."

"My love, you are so conceited."

"Comes with the territory. Besides, you know what my mom tells me every morning. _**You go to school and know that you're the sexiest kid in there. You have my genes, you know.**_"

Laughter bubbled out of Misao's mouth and Aoshi gave half of a smirk as the "odd couple" moved through the parking lot conversing about everything and nothing. Aoshi stopped her as they saw the missing duo and he put his hand over her mouth before giving a soft, 'sssh', in her ear and pointing to Kenshin's car. Misao's eyes followed his fingers and her eyes widened as Aoshi smirked.

"Oh my."

Kaoru's arms were loosely around Kenshin's neck and his own were around her waist as they forgot their surroundings and sunk deeper into the lust of each other. She pulled away with a smile and as Kenshin leaned back in, she teased him by brushing her lips towards his and pulling away.

"Such a minx." Misao whispered and Aoshi could only nod with a grin as they continued to watch the display. Kenshin gave a growl as she repeated her actions and Kaoru laughed quietly as he held her head still and resumed their previous actions. Misao heard her laugh slip down into a moan and Aoshi decided he had enough of watching his best friend.

"Alright then." he sighed. Misao arched her eyebrow at him, but he ignored her for the moment as he put his hands around his mouth and taking a deep breath.

"Kuro Neko..." he called in a cute voice. "Kuro Neko..." Misao watched Kaoru freeze and pull away before they both turned to see the smirking Emo King and his embarrassed girlfriend. Kaoru's face turned red and she hid in Kenshin's shirt as he gave a sheepish grin. Aoshi let out a 'Meow' and he bust out laughing at her mortified look.

"Alright Aoshi. Down Kitten." Aoshi continued to chuckle and he turned around as Kenshin pulled away from her and let her get her book bag.

"Walk back four minutes after us." Aoshi explained and Misao waved as the two started to walk back and continue their previous conversation.

"See you in class?" Kaoru smiled and she kissed his cheek before running and joining them in their quick strides. Kenshin let out a huge grin towards and he then gave a loud and high cheer.

"So what happened?" Aoshi asked with a chuckle as Misao laughed towards the red-head's happy howling. Kaoru shook her head with a silly grin.

"We... mended." Aoshi clapped and said, 'Finally.' as he opened the doors and they jumped into the crowd.

"I thought he'd never shut the fuck up at night through my window."

Kenshin walked into the building minutes later and as he watched Kaoru walking, she turned around slightly to see him staring her way. The smile on his face was poisonous and as he gave a nod, she grinned back and continued to walk with Aoshi. The red-head blended in quickly by himself and he could only think of lyrics to a song that described the way he felt at the moment.

_Oh whatever anyone anyone says, it doesn't matter to me  
Oh whoever whoever curses me, I'll only look at you  
Even when I'm born again, it's still only you  
Even as time goes by_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**R.S.:** And this chapter is finished! I like the way it turned out haha it was different before, but this version rocks way more than wat i had in my folder ;). Hope you guys enjoyed it! **R&R** is always loved and enjoyed haha. And the lyrics in Kenshin's head are from a song called "**Only You**" by SuperJunior.(btw, idk if those lyrics are a true translation because i found like two versions on the web, but they kinda fit so =P haha sorry guys!) Have a good holiday everyone!

**3**


	13. Filler Chapter!

R.S.**:** Oh my goodness, I am sososososo sorry for such a long wait! I feel like the biggest loser alive! I've had so much work to do and so many places to visit; I'm just in whirlwind here at college. =( I hope I haven't lost too many fans because of such a long wait! I finally managed to crank this one out! Hope you guys enjoy it!

* * *

"_If he can withstand these boys, hold a conversation with my dad, and make it past Sunday dinner? He's a saint."_

-_**Quote on family**_ from my house

_**The Musical Poetry Club**_

_**By: Rampaging Sorrow**_

_**Filler Chapter: Family, Friends, and Sports**_

"Sssh."

"Wha-"

"Shut it!"

"But-"

"**Zip it.**"

Amethyst eyes full of mischief twinkled as he grinned at Kaoru and allowed her vanilla scented hands (he thought her hand wash was amazing) to cover his mouth. Light blue eyes scanned the empty entrance hall of her house and then turned back to look at Kenshin holding back his laughter.

'_He's such a clown._' "Be quiet ok?" she reminded him as the two began to walk. "If mom comes home and she hears your voice, I'm screwed." He nodded and before she could move another step, he brought their hands together and winked at the smile that now covered her lips.

"Lead the way, love."

It had been two weeks since Kenshin's _outburst _that lead to their moments of "making up"in the back seat of his car. And every night since then, they were together with everything thrown aside for the present. The dates were always of different degrees—study dates, movie dates, soccer dates, etc.— but without the stress of their groups hovering on them, they enjoyed each other's company and bathed in the shower of love that was coming either way. They roamed neighboring towns to be alone and with huge smiles and hearts, they lived like stars.

And now, to Kenshin's delight, he was being let into her home. Kaoru had been reluctant at first, but with some persuasion (a.k.a. kisses) she gave in and promised they'd skip school early to fully check it out with her mother hopefully not being around. He was amazed at the size of the mansion and Kaoru grinned as he stared up in awe at the entrance hall.

"You think this is big? At home with dad, I still get lost sometimes when I'm not paying attention."

As they walked up the stairs, Kenshin slowed his pace at the middle to look at the pictures that decorated the wall. Photos of her mother, Seth, little Yahiko (who Kenshin realized that Kaoru adored after she brought him on a date to the arcade), and a few photos of Kaoru in her younger years as well.

"Awww!" he exclaimed dramatically as he pointed at a picture of her hanging off a tire swing above the lake. Her eyes were bright and her smile showed that she had laughter and was happy.

"You're so cute," Kenshin 'coo'ed and she giggled as he pinched her cheeks and gave her an Eskimo kiss.

"My pictures upstairs are **way** better."

With laughter, she pulled him up the rest of the stairs and down the "dull" hallway to her door. Kenshin couldn't help but laugh at the way she whined about the color. He stared in amazement at the decorated walls that were on either side of the airs and once he got to the top, he whistled at the **"masterpiece" **(as Kaoru demanded it be called).

"Wow." was all he could think of as he took a look around in awe. Kaoru smirked triumphantly and she invited him to sit on the rug next to her bed with her. He placed his shoes by the stairs before sitting down and watching her reach into her desk drawer to pull out two albums.

"These are my albums. Check them out." Kenshin looked down at them as she placed them in his lap and he opened the '**National'** album. His eyes lit up as she opened her laptop and sat on her bed cross-legged to answer e-mails and send a message to her father.

"You were a chubby baby." he chuckled as he looked at a picture of her parents smiling next to her while she sat in a car seat.

"Shut up." she said lightly and he laughed more as she flashed him a glare and blew a raspberry at him.

Through the pages, the locations changed and Kaoru grew. Her cuteness seemed to reach new heights and he saw that she even became 'spunky'. From her short haircuts to wearing tie-dye shirts, he could tell that she had a knack for creativity way before she even knew what the important things were in life. He also realized that her mother vanished about halfway through the album.

'_Must have been after the divorce._' It didn't seem to damper her smile. If anything, it intensified with her father. During the '11th Year', He could see the excitement that was on both of their faces.

"You were really happy with your father." he said out loud, though mostly to himself. She nodded as she pulled her hair from her face and sighed. "Mom left for Seth, and we were all we had. You'll see my aunt soon, but sometimes she wasn't there because of her addictions."

Kenshin turned the page and indeed, he saw a beautiful green-eyed woman with dark brown hair smiling next to a smirking Kaoru. Enishi started to show more as well.

"You've been-"

"Best friends for eight years and counting." He felt a pang of jealousy at her soft smile and he continued through the rest with a 'hmph', ignoring the soft laughter coming from her body. He realized that the ending of middle and beginning of high school was where the 'sexy' came in.

'_Man, she was HOT in her __**freshman**__ year_.' he thought with a smirk. He saw friends with her doing wacky things and even pictures of her dancing and posing with model-like men at events. '_No more of that._' he said with a commanding tone in his head. '_I won't have it._' Sports teams, dance groups, famous people; Kaoru had it all in her book and he was impressed at the amount of things she had done before she was brought into his life.

He picked up the international book next and was amazed at the number of countries she had on her index. Almost all of Europe and South America countries were there as well as Asia, Oceania, and some African countries. Kaoru saw him looking at the list and nodding in amazement.

"It started when I was young." Kenshin stopped looking at the photo of her hanging off of an elephant's tusk to give her eye contact and listen.

"When I was little, my father decided that every three months, we would travel to any location that we could agree on. And mom didn't really like it—being the tight ass she is—"

"Be nice," Kenshin warned playfully as he smirked at the way she rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, even though mom didn't like it and almost never came along, we would take three weeks off and leave her behind. Dad showed me everything he researched and he was always so... happy to be sharing something with me that he couldn't share with anyone else. He would always stop and point and he'd explain with such... such _passion_." Their eyes met as she put the laptop aside and she kicked pale legs into the air.

"I'd always listen not because I was interested, but simply because he felt for what he was teaching me. And that just... I knew I had something with him that mom never could..." Kenshin watched her give a slight frown as she blew bangs from her eyes and crossed her bent legs over one another.

"I sometimes wonder if that's why she ended up leaving." Kenshin frowned as well and he eased the silence by giving her calf a tender rub. She smiled softly at him before flopping over onto her stomach and leaning over the bed so she could see what pictures he was on. For the next twenty minutes, he listened to Kaoru tell him the towns in which the pictures were held and things that made each one special. Her eyes twinkled with delight and with each laugh and each story; he felt as if he were drifting and that he had been with her his whole life.

"We're actually going to South Africa next month for two weeks."

"Seriously?" he asked surprised and she could only nod and grin. "Business conference for five days and the remaining nine days are just left for us to find stuff to do."

"What made your dad decide to do this?" he asked with curiosity.

"Well," he smiled as she lolled her head to the side and pressed the tip of her finger to her mouth. "He mostly does it to make up for not doing all of this in his younger years. Dad made his business early and after a year or so, business was amazing. Better than he could have even dreamed. But, just when he was about to leave his teen years behind, I came along so he really had to put his traveling dreams on hold."

That fact made Kenshin pause in thought. "...Just how old are your parents?"

"Well, mom is three years older than dad...so, Dad should be... thirty-eight?... Yeah, thirty-eight."

"Three years, huh?" Kenshin said in a teasing tone. "Your father must have been a seriously suave man."

"It runs in the Kamiya bloodline." Kaoru said proudly. "All my uncles have really gorgeous women with amazing personalities and my aunts all married _**really**_ well."

Kenshin rolled his eyes as she laughed and flipped her hair from her eyes, pink clad feet kicking up into the air. "But that's why, in a nutshell. He takes me to show me what the world is so I won't ever have to find out the hard way later on. And I'm his little girl, ya know? Only one he's got. Might as well give me everything he can."

Kenshin merely 'hmm'ed as he went through the **Africa** section and noted that he could see her growing up beautifully through these pictures as well. "Kaoru..."

"Yes?" she responded as she shut her laptop and looked his way with an arched eyebrow.

"... You know your father must have a shot-gun, right?" Kaoru bust out laughing and Kenshin soon joined in from the shove she gave his shoulder.

"Actually," she said through her giggles, "Dad has a sawed off rifle under his bed and a sniper near his bedroom window facing the yard."

Kenshin's laughter quickly stopped in fear as Kaoru continued to laugh and put her laptop on the floor. She ignored his glare as she rolled onto her back and kicked her feet in the air.

"That wasn't funny. That's scary."

"My dad's a lunatic." she giggled. "He almost shot his brother in the leg once because he thought that he was some stranger hitting on me at the front door. He yelled, _**Kaoru, baby get out the way!**_, and I took some steps back before he shot at him. They still argue over it to this day. So when you meet daddy, be careful. He's trigger happy."

Kenshin gave her another glare as she began to laugh at his stunned silence.

"That's so mean."

"It's what a daddy should do to **all** his daughter's boyfriends." he gasped at her grin and she could only let out a squeal as he jumped up onto her bed and a wrestling match began.

Their laughter and playful grunts only made the fight last longer and as Kenshin pinned her to the bed after five minutes, he quickly ran his lips across her cheek to silence the laughter. They only quieted to giggles and he smiled as he rubbed their noses together and held her face so that he could gaze into her eyes and slip into bliss.

"Such a romantic, Ken-Ken." Kenshin smiled and pressed a finger to her lips. Her eyes crossed as she attempted to stare at his finger and he couldn't help but the chuckle as he felt her lips curve into a smile. Happiness poured through them both and she pressed a soft kiss to his finger.

"Why should I?" he responded as he felt the need to tease. "Your dad probably has a rifle with my name on it."

"Well, I could always put in a good word for you." Kenshin began to laugh and he shook his head in a scolding manner before Kaoru quickly reached up and grabbed his hair. All he could exclaim was "OW!", before their eyes met for a split second and she pressed her lips to his.

'_What a firecracker._' With a chuckle and applied pressure, their kiss reached to new heights as they fought for the upper hand. Her fingers massaged his scalp and with a shudder, he greedily took control and proceeded to make her breathless. Her sigh and wandering fingers only made him quietly groan and pull her body close to his to feel her warmth. Her knees rose slightly and he rested between them as he massaged her sides and let crawling fingers work up her shirt.

"You're such a tease." he groaned huskily at the rise of her hips before claiming her lips again and managing to unclasp her bra. Shirts flew and feverishly hot hands traveled, traced, touched as if to memorize the curves and feel of each other's body. Kaoru ran her nails softly along his abs and they both sighed as he slid his hands underneath her to pull her closer. His fingers went to unbutton her jeans, but to his dismay, there was a sudden loud knocking at the bedroom door.

"Kaoru, are you home?" Kenshin's eyes met equally shocked blue while a fist knocked three more times.

"Shit." she whispered as her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "It's Seth."

"Kaoru," Seth yelled from behind the door, "The School called and said you left early!"

"I'm here!" she called back and Seth leaned against the door with a hand to his head.

"Is Kenshin up there?"

Kaoru laughed as she put on her bra and went to retrieve their shirts from the opposite side of the room. "Yeah, he's here. Why'd you ask-"

"Open this door, child." Kaoru fixed Kenshin's shirt and made him sit at her laptop before she ran her fingers through her hair and walked down the steps. Kenshin untied his ponytail and with quick hands, he re-tied it and he typed in a random website to surf.

"Hello there, Seth." Kaoru said as she waved and leaned against the railing. Hazel eyes were unimpressed behind glasses as he arched his eyebrow and he adjusted his tie.

"You're home early."

"That's because when the school called my job saying that you just up and left, I knew you'd bring the little runt here as well." Kaoru grinned as he stepped on the bottom step and raised his head.

"**Himura!**" Kaoru could hear the chair fall as Kenshin yelled in surprise and she laughed quietly as she knew he was on the floor.

"Owww..." they both heard him say and even Seth couldn't help but smirk.

"**Get down here, boy! Kitchen in two minutes!**" Kaoru arched her eyebrow at the way Seth rubbed his hands together and turned to retreat down the hallway. "This is going to be fun..."

"What's so fun in the kitchen?" she called after him curiously.

"You'll see." Kaoru saw red hair cover her vision and she grinned like a fool as Kenshin held onto the banister and stuck his head out to watch Seth disappear down the steps. He pulled back and the duo soon were walking down the hallway slowly as Kaoru held his hand and giggled about how Seth rushed home.

"Don't be scared, Kenshin. He can smell fear." Kaoru said in a serious voice as they stood outside the kitchen. His eyes searched hers for help, but he could tell she was going to give little service. Once the stepped inside the well-furnished kitchen, the two sat down at the table near the window and watched as Seth hummed and made tea and brought out small finger food.

"He seems in a good mood." Kenshin whispered into Kaoru's ear as she watched him with a suspicious eye.

"Keep your guard up." she said as her eyes followed him to the closet of food. "He's plotting."

Seth smiled happily towards the two and he brought over the tray before lightly placing it on the table and sitting in his chair.

"Milk and sugar?" he asked sweetly. Kaoru nodded with a suspicious face and Seth fixed her cup before sliding it her way. "And you boy?"

"The same." Kenshin replied with a soft smile. It was soon wiped from his face as Seth harshly threw sugar in and made a splash with the milk. He stirred hitting every side of the cup and with a huge smile never fading, he slid Kenshin's cup his way.

Kenshin slowly grabbed his cups, a soft "Thank you," slipping from his mouth. Kaoru arched her eyebrow with a smile and held in the laughter that wanted to spill as he hummed in a high pitch and fixed his own cup.

The next few moments were silent as Seth removed his glasses and sipped on his tea with a smile He watched the two with one eye open. Alarms screamed in Kenshin's head as he took a quick sip of his tea and folded his hands in his lap. Right as Kaoru was going to break the silence, Seth cut in first and his whole demeanor turned... scary.

"I know your kind, punk." he said harshly as Kenshin widened his eyes in surprise. "You see the new girl and you see that she's hot and she's well off and as soon as you can know her name, you set out a plan to get in good with her and get between her legs."

"W-WHAT?" Kenshin exclaimed after remembering to swallow and not choke on his tea. Kaoru's eyebrows rose as she mentally said '_whoa'_.

"Yeah, I said it!" Seth continued. "You try to get between her legs and once you do, you ride it until she's old news for you and you drop her like she's nothing but a pair of dirty draws. But you won't be doing that here!" he started to chuckle as he sipped his head and shook his head. "Nope, nope. Not here, young man! _**Laughs**_ You must be out of your mind!"

Kenshin gaped as Kaoru's eyebrows continued to rise higher and he looked between the two before clearing his throat to speak.

"Pardon me, Mr. Fujiyoshi, but that's not-"

"Shut up." he barked and Kenshin leaned back towards Kaoru as Seth growled his way. "People like you make me sick. Think you can run around driving your mother's cars like you're the shit, humping in her back seat and then ruining the poor girl's good name! You all deserve to be shot."

Before Kenshin could even try to defend his name, Seth leaned over the table and they were close. Kaoru curled her toes at the laughter bubbling inside of her, blue eyes watching Kenshin crack and stare at Seth with open violet eyes.

"If you even **THINK** about sticking your dirty little fingers down my daughter's pants, if you even **IMAGINE** trying to touch her, I will chop your hand up and shove it so far up your ass you'll feel the fingers twitching in your _**stomach**_. I will hang you by your **balls** on the flagpole outside of your school and I will make sure **EVERYBODY** knows that you were a victim of getting too close, understand me?"

Kenshin was speechless and fear coursed through his veins as Seth flashed a cutting knife on the tea tray. He slammed it down and the 'clank' sound echoed through the room.

"**GOT ME?**" Kenshin quickly nodded and said, 'yes sir.' before Seth took another deep breath and sat back in his chair. His angry frown soon turned into a smile.

"So, Kenshin..." he began as he batted his eyes and crossed one leg over the other. Kenshin was frozen stiff as Kaoru caved and a giggle escaped her lips.

"Where were you born, hmm?"

* * *

"I can't believe you laughed."

"_**laughs**_. I had **no** idea Seth was such a maniac, Kenshin. It surprised me too."

"But you laughed! You laughed at the maniac!"

Kaoru bit her lip as Kenshin turned the corner and drove towards the high school soccer field. He had spilled everything he could about himself to Seth and when Seth didn't like his answers, he would ask them again. Luckily, Kenshin was smart enough to just answer the way he wanted him to. The cutting knife that he flashed each time his answer sounded 'funny' wasn't to be taken lightly. Kaoru grinned at him and she couldn't help but slip into another fit of giggles.

"He was really going to take you into the bathroom to check you out. He had the gloves and everything."

"I know!" Kenshin exclaimed as they pulled up to a stop sign. "That's why I said we have to go! You think I wanted to be probed?"

He glared at the laughter spilling from her lips and once she saw his look, she managed to silence her laughter and turn to face him in the car.

"It's okay." she said softly and his glare slowly began to simmer down as she took her hand and placed it over his. Her smile forced his lips to twitch.

"Come on..." she giggled. "You know you want to smile..."

He tried hard to fight it, but once she pressed a tender kiss to his knuckles, he gave in and she cheered as he began to chuckle and smile. The horn of an impatient driver behind them forced them to drive through the stop sign and they laughed as Kenshin sped off down the street and once again towards the high school. He stopped right outside the parking lot and Kaoru nodded softly to him before she reached behind her seat and grabbed her duffel bag. It pained him to not pull into the parking lot and hold her hand as they walked to the field, but he knew that some things took time. And this was something that would take **lots **of time.

'_Time that I doubt we both really have._' Kaoru snapped him out of his thoughts and he smiled as she was already out the car and at his window. She looked around to make sure they were clear before Kenshin leaned out the window and they shared a slow, soft, kiss.

"See you on the field, okay?" she said with a slight blush in her cheeks. Kenshin nodded and as she was walking away, he drove up next to her and tapped her shoulder before driving off. She laughed and shook her head as he hit the horn and he then parked in his spot and walked to the field. His lips gave a soft smile as he saw Tomoe wave happily and jog towards him fully clothed her uniform already.

'_It's bad that I feel like I'm cheating when I hug her._' he thought as she jumped into his arms and he spun her around. '_Hopefully Kaoru understands that now I think about her when I'm even in another woman's presence…_'

Enishi rolled his eyes at Kenshin's grin amongst the preps that now surrounded and he turned his eyes to see Kaoru walking up with a cheerful grin on her lips. She saw Kenshin and her eyes trailed to see his arm around Tomoe's shoulder, laughing in what she could say was affectionate. Enishi noticed her steps slow as she gazed in Kenshin's direction and he quickly walked over before taking her bag off of her shoulders.

"You alright?" he asked as she took his hand and led him over to the bleachers. "You looked… distant for a second."

"I'm okay." Their eyes met and he immediately understood. His nod was all she needed to continue to speak.

"These are the appearances we have to keep up. Even though I don't care, he still does. So… I understand."

Nimble fingers quickly pulled up soccer socks and she flashed Enishi a smile as she swept her hair up into a high ponytail.

"Besides," she said with a cocky tone, "Kenshin's heart is quickly moving in my direction. He can hug her, but I bet every time he does he's thinking of me."

Enishi chuckled as she winked at him and casually walked onto the soccer field. '_She's a handful._' He thought. '_A real handful._'

* * *

**'7:15**

**Dinner my house. 8:00. Mom wants to meet you :)**

**-Ken.**

Cotton candy colored lips parted to let out a breath of slight nervousness as she stood in front of Kenshin's door and made sure that she was presentable in the glass screen-door. Her legs were covered by dark blue jeans and she wore bright blue-green high-top sneakers to match her shirt. A simple jacket covered her arms from the cold and once she sighed and fluffed her hair and blew her bangs, she rang the doorbell. Her head tilted softly as she saw the porch light come on and then the door unlocked to reveal Kenshin wearing black sweats and a towel covering his head.

"Where's your shirt, babe?" Kaoru asked with a soft laugh. Kenshin smiled softly and shrugged before opening the screen door and leaning his head down. Kaoru knew exactly what he wanted and she grinned like a fool before their lips met. Her hands went into damp red-locks and immediately, he let out a sound of content as one arm went around her waist to bring her closer.

"**Kenshin! Who was at the door?**" Kenshin slowly pulled away and their eyes met with a hint of unfinished actions before he let her inside and shut the door behind him.

"It's Kaoru, old man! Relax!" Kaoru arched her eyebrow at his hostility and he shrugged before taking her jacket and hanging up on the coat rack. Kaoru looked around his house and secretly fell in love with the coziness it held. It wasn't as big as her house (not many were in the area), but as they walked away from the door and into the spacious living room, she enjoyed that it showed signs of life. While her house constantly looked on display, the dolls on the couch and the newspaper open on the table gave her great pleasure to see.

"I'll give you a tour." he chuckled as he placed her hand in his. "Mom's not done anyway."

"No you don't, young man! I want to see who this lovely woman is!"

Kaoru looked over Kenshin's shoulder and she gasped with a smile as his mother entered the living room with a towel drying her hands. Their looks were so similar it was as if they were siblings. She could finally see where Kenshin got his smile and the shape of his nose. Chi-Mae had her reddish-brown hair swept up into a clip and her blue eyes shined brightly as she examined Kaoru and finished drying her hands. Kaoru moved from Kenshin's back to stand at his side.

"Mom," Kenshin began as he saw his mother grinning and waiting, "this is Kaoru Kamiya; Seth's stepdaughter. Kaoru, this is my mother, Chi-Mae Seijuro."

"It's nice to meet you." Kaoru said with a smile and Chi-Mae brought her into a swift hug.

"And same to you, my dear! Kenshin has told me so much about you!" A blush spread across Kenshin's face and Chi-Mae pulled away to hold her at arm's length and watch the girl give Kenshin a sly smirk.

"You're even more beautiful in person." she happily told her and then she gave her a soft arm rub before letting her go and pulling Kenshin to her side.

"I'm glad you've taken a liking to my boy," she giggled as she tapped his cheek. "He's been so lonely these days."

Kenshin looked at his mother with narrowed eyes "Mom..." Chi-Mae giggled softly as she kissed his cheek and looked towards the hallway leading to the kitchen.

"I'll go finish up dinner with Hiko. It shouldn't be too long now. You show Kaoru around and the girls are eating with their friends down the street tonight."

Kaoru smiled and waved as Chi-Mae hummed a tune back into the kitchen. Kenshin sighed in embarrassment and he then gave a sheepish smile to Kaoru as she leaned against the wall.

"Let's go grab a shirt for me first and then I'll show you around."

"I dunno..." Kaoru said as she pulled him by his hand closer and out of view of the kitchen. "I like this view a **lot.**" Kenshin smirked mischievously and he whispered, "come on." before he pulled her to the stairs by the television near the wall. Kaoru looked at the pictures going past and she smiled softly at the crazy photos of Aoshi and Kenshin and another red-headed boy who she had never heard of before.

"I know the last time you were here wasn't... great," Kenshin said, ending it with a soft laugh. "But, this is my room." Kaoru smiled with a blush of embarrassment before he opened his door and let her inside.

"I remember looking at your room. I was so confused because there was... color." she laughed at the narrow look he gave her and then she walked over to his bed and removed her shoes.

"Feel free to grab stuff and move it around," he called to her as he walked to his dresser and pulled a row open. There were a few picture frames on his desk and she grabbed on before pulling it closer to look. She couldn't help but say, 'awww', at a younger version of Kenshin sitting on a porch with two red-heads, one way older and one close to his age.

"Who are these two?" she asked as she turned to watch him pull out a black shirt. Kenshin arched an eyebrow and he then walked over to her before leaning down and holding his damp bangs from his eyes. She couldn't help but smile at the narrowed eyes.

"That's my brother Madox." he said pointing to the slightly older red-head sitting. His eyes were bright blue-green and Kaoru could tell just by looking at him that was probably drop-dead gorgeous now. Kenshin smiled softly as he began to explain about his brother.

"He's a sophomore at the University of Southern California on a soccer scholarship. He's been traveling a lot so we really don't see much of him during breaks, but he'll be home this break... He was like the best prep king to hit the school, too."

"Really now." Kaoru said dryly. Kenshin nodded with a sheepish smile, but then his smile faded as he sat down on the bed and pulled Kaoru to sit next to him.

"I've always been his... protégée of some sort. He set some weird tone for me to just set and I've always either been in his shadow trying to top him or carrying on his legacy." Kaoru watched him lean backwards onto his elbows and blow out a breath of air.

"It sucks sometimes." light blue eyes shut softly before lying backwards with Kenshin and curling up onto his side. The two wiggled up the bed until they were comfortable before Kenshin raised his arm and pulled her closer. She rested her head on his chest and softly tapped her fingers on his stomach.

"Who's the other red-head?" she asked as she placed the frame on his stomach and pointed to the older male in between smiling with spiky red-hair and brilliant amethyst eyes. Kenshin's eyes matched them perfectly.

"That's my father."

Kaoru noted his voice got quieter and she looked up at him to see his eyes were staring at the wall. His breathing got slightly deeper, as if he was almost angry, and she turned to put the photo frame back before lying on her side and looking at him.

"Turn to me." she softly said and Kenshin turned over to face her. She pulled his head down and made it rest against hers before she rubbed his arm softly and allowed him to wrap them around her. Their eyes met and light blue attempted to calm down with soft rubs and kisses to his cheek. He calmed down in her arms and he nudged her head up with his hand before pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"You okay?" she asked softly.

"I'm fine." he replied with a soft smile. "It's just..."

"You don't have to explain. I understand."

He nodded and he then pressed a kiss to her forehead before releasing her from his hold and walking to his window. Kaoru watched in curiosity as he opened it and pulled a megaphone from under his bed.

"What are you doing?" she laughed as he turned it up and placed it towards his mouth, their previous conversation immediately behind them.

"Come and watch what happens." he said with a grin. Kaoru stood next to him and they both dropped to their knees before Kenshin pulled a button back and he then winked at her before smirking towards Aoshi's window.

"**Aoshi Shinomori. Paging the ice prick.**" Kaoru put a hand over her mouth to hold in the laughter and he gave her a wide grin before doing it once more.

"**Aoshi Shinomori. You're tall and you're ugly and your girlfriend is SUPER short. You're basically a pedophile. Don't make me turn the alarm on.**"

Her laughter finally escaped her as he turned the siren on and placed it out the window to echo across the yard. They watched as the curtains finally pulled from his side and Kenshin turned it off as Aoshi slammed his window open and began to bark. His hair and glazed eyes showed that he was fresh out of sleep.

"**What the hell is wrong with you? Are you retarded? Is that it? Why can't you just text me instead of waking me up with the fucking playground alarm? Do I LOOK five to you, you short bastard?**" Kaoru gaped at his cursing and Kenshin just continued to chuckle and laugh. Aoshi flung a shoe through the window with a string of more curses before Kaoru went into view. Aoshi immediately slowed down as Kaoru wagged her finger.

"Damn, Shinomori. Who knew that you could yell and say that much?" Aoshi gave her the finger before he yawned into his hand and pushed his bangs from his eyes.

"What do you love-birds want? You're wasting my nap."

"Dinner in 10 minutes." Kenshin gave him a wink before closing his window and listening to the taller teen curse his whole existence.

"He loves me." the red-head said with a sigh and a dreamy smile.

Kaoru could only arch her eyebrow with a smile.

* * *

"Bless the meal. Amen."

Kaoru smirked at the way Aoshi hummed in approval before they began to pass food around and fill their plates up. Chi-Mae smiled happily as Kaoru poured water in their glasses, her mind working into overdrive about how to analyze the young beauty in front of her. Hiko simply kept his eyebrow arched and he looked at Kenshin's small blush beginning to form at the silence.

"So Kaoru," Chi-Mae finally said to break the silence, "Where are you originally from?"

Kaoru swallowed her rice quickly before smiling and answering, "Tokyo, ma'am."

"No formalities, dear! Just call me Chi-Mae. And Tokyo! That's exciting!"

"I don't remember much because I came here when I was two, but I go frequently so it's pretty amazing. The pace is different from here." Chi-Mae spooned rice onto her plate before Hiko looked up from his glass of sake and met her eyes.

"Kenshin talks about you a lot." he began. Kenshin's eyes narrowed and Aoshi's lips formed into a smirk as the boys knew that Hiko was about to declare a war over the dinner table.

"Really? He does?"

"Aa. My wife loves to hear him talk about your... activities at school."

"Activities?" she asked with curiosity. Then, as quickly as she asked, she let out an 'oh!' and replied, "My activities. As when I'm wreaking havoc along school grounds."

"Yes. Going off of what he tells us, it seems that you're a damn lunatic."

"Hiko." Kenshin snapped as he looked up and gave him a glare. Chi-Mae swatted his arm with a pout as Aoshi began to chuckle and spin his chop-sticks in his hand. "That's rude."

Kaoru could only smirk as she took a sip of her water and turned her gaze to him. "I think I'm going to like you." she said as she put the cup down.

Hiko arched his eyebrow in curiosity as Kenshin gave her a look of disbelief. "And why is that?"

"Because anybody who can be honest to me during a first meeting is worth liking." Hiko smirked and rolled his eyes before raising a small shot glass to his lips and taking a sip.

"Can I be honest to you?" Kenshin arched his eyebrow as Kaoru's lips curved around her fork and she waited for an answer. Hiko made a motion for her to speak.

"Well…" Kenshin gripped her hand under the table to get her attention, but she only rubbed her thumb against his hand before turning her eyes to Hiko and grinning.

"I think you're a smart-ass." Aoshi choked on his gulp of water and Chi-Mae stared at her in disbelief. Kenshin gaped in shock and Hiko arched an eyebrow in both shock and surprise as she grinned and chewed on more rice.

"Kaoru, what—"

"And what makes you say that?" Hiko interrupted in curiosity.

"Just looking at you." She replied smoothly, her fork dangling from her fingers in his direction. "You just give this… **vibe** that screams '_I am a smart-ass. It's certified._' That, and whenever Kenshin calls me I hear your voice in the background saying things only a smart-ass could say.

"Admit it." She grinned cheekily. "You, sir, are a smart-ass. There's probably a plaque in your office that you shine daily."

For a moment, there was a deep silence. Kenshin and Chi-Mae continued to look between Hiko, who was still staring at her with his eyebrow arched, and Kaoru, who gave a grin that threatened to split her face in triumph. Even Aoshi was quiet, though a mischievous smirk covered his lips as he waited for a response. And then, when Kenshin was about to speak, Hiko erupted.

… In laughter of course.

"I like this girl." He said through his laughs. "She's a keeper. How did you know I shine my plaque every morning?"

"I do the same." She giggled and the two shared a long laugh as the mood lifted and the conversation flowed into topics that had everyone laughing and Hiko sharing some of his top pranks he would pull on Kenshin. Kenshin observed Kaoru smile and laugh and he was relieved that she warmed up to his parents.

'_I could get used to this. This is… nice…_' Kaoru squeezed his hand underneath the table to get his attention and he gave her a soft smile before rejoining the conversation and laughing with his mother at Aoshi's facial expression.

* * *

"I loved dinner, Momma Chi-Chi! It was the best meal I've eaten since I moved here."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, dear! You're welcome back for dinner anytime you wish."

Kenshin smiled happily as Kaoru and his mother hugged happily and connected like long-time friends. Hiko was gone to pick up the girls and Aoshi stood outside waiting for Kaoru to finish her goodbyes for the night. Kaoru gave Chi-Mae a kiss on the cheek and a grin before stepping on his front porch and watching her turn and walk towards the kitchen.

"I love your parents." Kaoru said happily as Kenshin leaned against his doorframe with a sexy grin on his face. "This was the best dinner in ages."

"I'm glad. Though, I was nervous earlier about how you and Hiko would converse. It seems he likes you now."

Kaoru smiled brightly and Kenshin chuckled before sliding his arms around her waist. Aoshi rolled his eyes and turned to face the street as Kaoru let her arms hang from his neck and melted with Kenshin's kiss. He hummed in pleasure as she pulled away and nipped his lower lip gently. A few more kisses were exchanged before Aoshi coughed and Kaoru pulled away with a laugh.

"Get home safe and text me when you're there."

"I will. See you tomorrow, babes." Kenshin smirked and kissed her forehead before they bid each other goodnight and Kenshin stepped inside his house. Once his door was shut, Kaoru and Aoshi began to walk to his car.

"So you're going to Misao's, eh?" Blue eyes met as Kaoru gave a perverted smirk. "Late night lovin'?"

"You're not going home to stay, are you?" Aoshi asked as she unlocked the doors, Kaoru's question completely thrown out the window.

"Of course not." She smoothly replied while the engine came to life. "Enishi got us on the list to this club a few towns away in this dance-off. We're going to go see how much we can make tonight off of the winnings."

"And does Kenshin know?" he countered with an arched eyebrow.

"What he doesn't know won't kill him, honey."

Aoshi chuckled as Kaoru sped down the street and turned the corner, a sexy grin spread across her lips.

* * *

**R.S.: **Well! This one is finally finished haha I'm the worst updater ALIVE and I should be burned at the stake! =( I've missed so much.

This filler will set up what happens in the next few chapters to come, with Kaoru's nightly activities a main center to conflicts that will shake things up a bit. I don't know when the next one will be out, but it should hopefully be soon! I already have a series of chapters written, though the next one is still in works (I'm still jumping around writing what comes to mind and then sliding them into proper placing).

Til next time! 3!

-Rampaging Sorrow

P.S : Who's excited that summer's here?


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